


No Shirt, No Shoes ...Big Problem

by SageMcMae



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Age Difference, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, College Student Rey (Star Wars), Complete, Devoted Reylo, Disasterous First Impressions, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, F/M, Fluff and Smut, Lawyer Ben Solo, Loss of Virginity, Mutual Pining, No one likes Bazine Netal, Protective Ben, Resolved Sexual Tension, Surfer AU, Virgin Ben Solo, Virgin Rey, jealous Rey
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-22
Updated: 2019-05-06
Packaged: 2019-10-14 06:04:48
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 15
Words: 47,871
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17503037
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SageMcMae/pseuds/SageMcMae
Summary: “Ah,” he smirked at her alarmed expression. “The girl I’ve heard so much about.”“W-who are you?” She demanded.His smirk fell away and he ran a hand through his shoulder-length black hair. “I can see nothing’s changed around here,” he commented offhandedly.Rey furrowed her brow uncertainly. He took a step towards her, offering his hand.“I’m Ben. Ben Solo.”Finals are over and it's time for sun, sand and waves. Rey won't let anything get in between her and some prime surfing. Until Ben Solo shows up and all her plans for a carefree summer wash away with the tide.





	1. Wouldn't It Be Nice

**Author's Note:**

> And the plot bunnies strike again...

It was always the same dream.  
  
_The salt air was crisp and refreshing as it blew the errant strands of hair out of her face. Rey stared at the horizon, an indistinguishable line between the sky and sea. Before her the cloudless sky stretched on. The waters were calm, as flat as a pane of glass and just as clear. It was beautiful._  
  
_When she stepped into the shoals, there was no trepidation. Her surfboard, tucked under her arm, served as her only companion, but that fact didn’t bother her. Rey knew the island waters and understood they could bring fortune or misery. She respected the balance._  
  
_Waves crashed around her as they broke on the shore. She walked out until her board floated alongside of her. Throwing a leg over it, she positioned herself on her belly and paddled out._  
  
_The sun was cresting over the horizon when Rey spun herself to face the beach. With the warm rays on her back, she watched the tide roll in. A natural lullaby composed of gulls crying and the water churning, surrounded her._  
  
_Time didn’t exist out here. This was her happy place, her escape from the day to rejuvenate and dismiss any doubts._  
  
_Until it became her worst fear._  
  
_Suddenly the waters swelled. The sky cracked open in a blur of white light. Rey teetered on her board, rocking with the choppy waves. Where the sea had once been calm it was now violent, tossing her bodily around as if she was no more than a toy boat in a bathtub with a petulant toddler._  
  
_Rey tried to gain control of her surfboard, struggling against the current which threatened to drag her into the deep. Her arms flailed, desperately propelling through the water. The board seesawed up and down, rearing like a bucking bronco. Rey held on tight with one hand, praying she could keep herself floating long enough to get to shore._  
  
_Her limbs grew heavy, exhaustion taking its toll on her slim form. Just as she reached past the tip of her surfboard to straighten out her course, a giant wave crashed over her._  
  
_Rey fell off her board, thrashing as she attempted to keep her head above the surface. The waves jostled her about, salt stinging her eyes and burning in her lungs. Her legs kicked furiously, fighting the invisible pull of the rip current._  
  
_But the battle was already lost._  
  
_One final gulp of oxygen and she was yanked below._  
  
_She sunk slowly, descending through the levels of light which managed to pierce the ocean. Lightning shone in the sky above, the storm raging on as if nothing had changed, as if it hadn’t already claimed her life. Light above, darkness below._  
  
_Rey tried to swim up, but each stroke only pressed her further down into the bleak oblivion awaiting her._  
  
_Down, down, down..._  
  
_The longer she went without air, the less she fought, until she was falling into the abyss without opposition._  
  
_Before she closed her eyes, she heard a voice._  
  
_“Hang on.”_

* * *

  
  
Rey Niima shot up in bed, gasping for breath and drenched in sweat. It was the same every time. The dream had haunted for years now, always beginning with paradise and ending in her worst fear.  
  
Shaking off the latest episode, Rey pried open the blinds of her bedside window, glancing out at the setting of her nightmare. Beyond the white fence around the pool patio was dune grass, sand and the endless blue of the sea. It was the main source of income for the island, a tourist town she’d spent her entire life living in, or at least the years of her life she could remember.  
  
At age five, Rey had been found curled up on the beach access with nothing, not even a blanket or a sand toy, only the clothes on her back. The police had posted flyers, called around to all the hotels and several rental home agencies. She’d even been on television, but no one claimed her. So Rey was remanded to Child Services and placed into foster care with Unkar Plutt, who ran the bait and tackle shop in Jakku.  
  
As soon as Rey was old enough to reach into the freezer, her guardian put her to work. She stocked bait, cleaned the store, polished hooks and whatever else Plutt ordered her to do. The more she did, the lazier he became, relying on her to keep the store functioning while he pocketed her stipend from the government. He blew it on booze and cigarettes, while she found a way to study and keep the shop profitable.  
  
If anyone from Child Services stopped by to check-in, Rey wasn’t an employee. She was there to do homework where Mr. Plutt could keep an eye on her. The story appeased her case worker, but not the store’s regulars.  
  
One in particular, Han Solo, was rather vocal about his feelings regarding Plutt’s arrangement, until one night when she was fourteen, it all came to a head.  
  
“What are you thinking leaving a girl like her in here alone at night, Plutt?” the silver fox snapped when he entered around midnight to find Rey mopping the floors and Plutt retrieving bills from the cash register.  
  
“What’s it to you, Solo?”  
  
“Anyone could walk in here and I’d bet the Falcon your security cameras are all dummies,” the pilot argued.  
  
“So? That ain’t illegal, you know.”  
  
“And if someone robs you?” Han prompted, while Rey pretended to be too busy clean to be eavesdropping.  
  
“Then it comes out of her paycheck,” Plutt grumbled. “Happens on her watch, it’s her problem.”  
  
“I call bullshit,” Han slammed a hand down on the counter, startling Rey.  
  
She’d never seen him angry before. Han was usually a harmless old charmer. The sweet-talker knew everyone in town and he was a favorite of the tourists with his flying stunt spectacular on July Fourth weekend. The smiling, waving local celeb who was constantly featured in the paper was a far cry from the snarling man she saw before her.  
  
“You don’t pay that girl a dime,” Han stated, his hand still on the counter as he leaned in towards Plutt. “You’re a poor excuse for a guardian.”  
  
“She’s fed. She’s clothed. What more do you want?”  
  
“You’re supposed to protect her!”  
  
“Protect her from what? A couple of fishermen coming in for gear? Some dumb tourists?” Plutt questioned, raising his voice as his frustration grew.  
  
“Anyone could walk in here while you are playing cards with Teedo out back. They could pull a gun on her and what’s she supposed to do?”  
  
Rey froze, her grip on the mop so tight her knuckles were white. She didn’t like Plutt or his friend Teedo, but everyone else on the island had always been kind to her. She had no reason not to trust the locals. Still Han’s words filled her with a sense of dread. Since her birthday, Rey was often left alone late at night and while she knew where Plutt kept his fishing knife, she’d never wielded it before. Even if she had, it wouldn’t have helped her against a gun.  
  
She eyed the two men’s standoff warily, no longer fearing Plutt’s wrath if he caught her taking a break. She was far more concerned with his reply.  
  
He had none.  
  
After a long moment of silence, Han shook his head and shoved off the counter. Rey was surprised when he came towards her. “Come on, kid, let’s go.”  
  
“What?” She stared at him wide-eyed and confused.  
  
“You can’t take her,” Plutt shouted, charging out from behind the counter. “She’s my property.”  
  
Han’s eyes narrowed. “She’s a child,” he replied flatly, “and she’s coming with me. If you have a problem with that, take it up with the police.”  
  
Rey watched Plutt balk at Han’s suggestion. They all knew he’d never call the police, wouldn’t want anyone taking too close of a look at his business or the weekly poker nights he held out back. It was only one of the illegal schemes he was running.  
  
“Get your stuff,” Han told her, his tone softer when he addressed her. “We’re leaving.”  
  
She didn’t think twice about it. Rey practically ran into the closet which served as her room, gathered up her school books in the ratty second-hand book bag she owned, and returned seconds later.  
  
Han didn’t seem surprised by her lack of personal effects. He wordlessly guided her out of the shop, glaring at Plutt as he did. Her guardian didn’t utter a word. Rey didn’t smile, afraid to press her luck, but when Han led her to his pristine silver Ford pickup, she beamed. He took her home, introducing her to his wife Leia, his burly chocolate lab, Chewie, and Leia’s smaller dog, a golden retriever dachshund named Threepio.  
  
Rey, who had never had a pet, fawned over them both, getting bathed in kisses while Han filled Leia in. By the time, Rey was able to free herself from the pups, Leia was already on her phone with their lawyer and Han was offering Rey their guest room.  
  
That had been five years ago.  
  
The Solo’s were the family Rey wanted, the one she needed. Like a page out of a fairy tale, they magically turned her world upside down. Han taught her how to fix planes, among other things. Leia taught her how to go after what she wanted. They threw her a sweet sixteen at the local laser tag arena. Han taught her how to drive. Leia taught her how to get through high school. They were there when she opened her SAT scores. Han taught her how to take shots. Leia taught her how to write a resume. The Solo’s guided her through it all. They even sat in the front row at her graduation from Tatooine High.  
  
Leia cried when Rey decided to stay local, attending college in state so she could come home on the weekends. Han hadn’t been as transparent about his relief when Rey announced her decision, but he had hugged her for a minute straight.  
  
She smiled remembering the day fondly. Han always tried to act tough, but he was about as tough as a teddy bear when it came to her. She loved him for it. He’d taken a chance on her and no matter how many hydraulic systems she replaced in record time, Rey would never be able to repay him for the life he’d given her.  
  
Despite her constant nightmare, a lingering affect of her abandonment and neglect, per her therapist, Rey was happy. At nineteen she had successfully completed her sophomore year of college and was looking forward to an entire summer working at the hangar with Han.  
  
Being home again meant dinners on the patio, snuggling with Chewie and Threepio around the bonfire and Leia’s famous sangria. She could almost taste the slices of fresh peaches drenched in Grand Mariner and white wine. It was lucky Leia and Han knew the police chief, Lando, or as Rey often referred to him as, Uncle Cal, because she’d been sampling Leia’s summer cocktail since she’d turned seventeen.  
  
“I was seventeen when I started drinking,” Leia had insisted. “There’s nothing wrong with it, as long as Rey is safe at home and not driving.”  
  
“You were fifteen and it was the least of your father’s concerns,” Han had chuckled before making a puffing gesture at Rey.  
  
She knew all about Leia’s little smoking habit. In fact, Rey was sure everyone on the island knew, but no one was going to do anything about it. After all, who was going to question a state senator?  
  
Rising from her bed, Rey stretched her arms up and a yawn escaped her. Finals this year had been rough, but she achieved the Dean’s List each semester to date. She’d been determined to see it again. She was sure her grades would reflect it when her transcripts posted next week, right after she slept for another twelve hours or so.  
  
Her stomach grumbled reminding her of a more pressing need than sleep.  
  
With another yawn, Rey padded down the steps headed for the kitchen. The clock in the foyer said it was after ten. Rey winced. She hated wasting time, but her body was worn out. After pulling numerous all-nighters in the campus library, her sleep deprivation had caught up with her. She hadn’t even eaten dinner last night when she got home, just shuffled upstairs and collapsed. Rey hadn’t taken the time to change, instead falling asleep on top of her made bed still wearing her jean shorts and crop top.  
  
Leia and Han both started their days early. They had told her to take the day off to get settled before she started working at the hangar. Rey didn’t expect to see them until dinner time. Which was why she found it odd to hear noise coming from the pantry.  
  
Maybe Chewie had gotten into the biscuits again.  
  
Rey strolled over to the storage room, finding the door partially ajar. She groaned.  
  
What was the big walking carpet getting into this time?  
  
Throwing it all the way open, Rey stared at where she expected Chewie’s wide brown eyes to be, only to find herself honed in on a man’s crotch.  
  
“What the —”  
  
She stumbled backwards, at the sight of an imposing figure dressed in a black v-neck t-shirt and dark washed denim. He turned around, seemingly unsurprised to see her. The stranger was sporting a goatee which added to the overall affect, though his eyes were not as menacing as the rest of his appearance. They were softer, contrasting against the sharp angles of his face.  
  
Rey backed up into the counter, frantically reaching behind herself to grab the first weapon she could: a frying pan.  
  
“Ah,” he smirked at her alarmed expression. “The girl I’ve heard so much about.”  
  
“W-who are you?” She demanded, keeping the pan in front of her.  
  
His smirk fell away and he ran a hand through his shoulder-length black hair. “I can see nothing’s changed around here,” he commented offhandedly.  
  
Rey furrowed her brow uncertainly. He took a step towards her, offering his hand. She wound up the pan, ready to strike, but he merely waited patiently in front of her.  
  
“I’m Ben. Ben Solo.”


	2. Pacific Coast Highway

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _Sometimes I realize my days are getting on. Sometimes I realize it's time to move along. And I wanna go home_  
>  Ben returns to the island to find some things never change and some things do...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A HUGE thank you to [LoveofEscapism](https://archiveofourown.org/users/LoveofEscapism/pseuds/LoveofEscapism/works) for offering to beta this fic for me. You are the sweetest angel! Love you <3
> 
> Thank you to those who have read so far. I appreciate all of the support for this story which had no outline, no higher purpose and is just being written for fun! I've decided to title each chapter after a Beach Boy's song and thanks to my beta, I now have an idea of where I am taking this.

Ben watched as the girl’s hazel orbs registered what he’d said. The pan wavered in her grip for a moment before recognition flickered across her confused features.    
  


“Ben?”    
  


He gave her a curt nod. She exhaled with a ‘whoosh’ through her mouth, laughing slightly as she set the pan back on its hook. 

 

She was a tiny thing, over  a head shorter than him and probably no more than a hundred pounds soaking wet. The girl had a youthful glow about her, unmarred by corporate life, a clear sign of her status as a college student. She still had hope. He was envious. His had died years ago.   
  


“Sorry, I just finished up with finals and all I’ve been thinking about is sleeping in my own bed, not hunched over my study nook. Oh, and eating something other than instant cup of noodles for a change! I thought you were Chewie. Last summer he got into his great bin and toppled the whole thing over. He thought it was the best day of his life. I thought it was going to be the end of mine. Big lug. He’s already overweight,” she rambled on, obviously still nervous.   
  


Did she even breathe?   
  


“You talk a lot,” he observed.    
  


The relieved grin she’d been wearing vanished. “Excuse me?”   
  


“Look, I just want to have breakfast and go about my business,” he explained. “We don’t have to do the thing,” he gestured between them.   
  


“The thing?” the girl echoed. She crossed her arms over her chest, fixing him with a defiant glare which could revival Leia.    
  


What was her name again? His father had told him at least a hundred times, but of course he couldn’t recall it.    
  


“The thing where we pretend to be friendly for the sake of my parents,” Ben clarified. “You’re not my sister. I’m not your brother. We’re acquaintances who both happen to be living here for the summer. That’s all. Nothing more.”   
  


Her eyes widened in shock. Ben realized he may have been a bit callous, but he wasn’t going to babysit some college chick whose idea of summer vacation was probably seeing how many rounds of flip cup she could win. Ben didn’t lead an exciting life, but he wasn’t desperate enough to chase after his parents’ pseudo-child for the next couple of months. 

 

“Wow,” she breathed. Then she was pushing off the counter and shoving past him. “Who pissed in your Cheerios?”    
  


Ben stalked after her, annoyed by her gall. She was quicker than him, and as he entered the foyer, he heard her charge up the steps, thundering just for his benefit. There was no way someone that small should sound like an elephant.    
  


“Hey!” he shouted after her.   
  


The only reply he received was the slam of her bedroom door.    
  


Well, as first impressions went, it wasn’t the best one he’d ever made...but it wasn’t the worst either.    


 

* * *

  
  


“I was wondering when you were going to stop by,” Han Solo greeted him when Ben arrived at Alderaan Airstrip.    
  


As usual, his father was elbows deep inside a steel bird.    
  


“I wanted some breakfast,” Ben muttered.   
  


“You didn’t wake Rey, did you?” Han peered out from under his arm.   
  


Right, the girl’s name was Rey with an ‘e’ because it wasn’t weird enough for your parents (who were approaching fifty) to adopt a fourteen year old, but apparently that fourteen year old had to come with a gender ambiguous name too.    
  


Ben remembered when he’d gotten the call. Leia had been beside herself and Han, well, Ben and him had never really seen eye-to-eye, but this was the final straw. This drove a wedge between them. They’d gone the last five years without speaking. They would have gone longer if it hadn’t been for...   
  


…well, Ben wasn’t ready to go  _ there _ just yet. 

 

It figured his father — his biological father — would be more concerned about the orphan girl than his own son. In typical Han Solo fashion, he appeared to be a hero to everyone. The truth was, Han was a hero, except to those who actually needed him.    
  


Han hadn’t been there for Ben when he grew  up being bullied at school for his mismatched features. Han hadn’t offered him any advice when Ben started making up excuses about why he didn’t want to go to college. Han hadn’t stood up for Ben when he finally snapped and punched Armitage Hux in his turned-up nose during junior year at Takodana.    
  


The only time his father had shown up for him was when the university threatened to kick Ben out. Apparently, the Hux family had made several sizable donations to the school and even though the altercation hadn’t occurred on school grounds, Armitage’s father was demanding retribution. When they heard, Han and Leia got into a heated fight, ending with his father storming out of the house and Leia asking Ben to stay with his uncle for a few days. 

 

He’d gone up north to spend his summer at Ahch-To with Luke. His mother’s twin lived like a monk with no TV, no internet and no cell service. For Ben, it was a complete nightmare.    
  


Luke believed in being one with the Earth and living a harmonious existence. Ben still didn’t know quite what that meant. All he knew was that it translated into Luke not having any electronics for entertainment. So Ben resorted to reading books all summer.    
  


When his senior year rolled around, he was happy to travel across the country to complete his degree at Takodana University. It was an added benefit that Takodana was the farthest institution away from both his parents and his uncle. 

 

While he finished his business degree, Ben debated staying to acquire his Masters right away or taking a few years off to gain work experience. In the end, he’d done neither, accepting a summer associate position at Palpatine and Snoke, a prestigious law firm in the downtown area. He’d been surprised they hired him, considering his background wasn’t in law, but the offer prevented him from returning home, so Ben didn’t question it. 

 

That was his first mistake.    
  


By fall, the managing partner, Anthony Snoke, had taken a keen interest in Ben’s career development. He convinced Ben of his potential, suggesting he leave Takodana to pursue his Juris Doctor at Moriband University of Law. Mr. Snoke was the first person to show an interest in Ben, honing his quiet gifts into a vocation which gave him purpose. It also provided the financial stability to stay on the West Coast, so Ben followed his advice.    
  


He’d completed his education, earning his necessary degree and certifications while continuing to work at Palpatine and Snoke. Over the years, Ben had worked his way up the ladder until last year when he’d been named partner. He was the youngest associate to be granted the title in the firm’s history. He wondered if his father would be proud.    
  


“Ben?”   
  


Snapping his attention back to the present, Ben focused on his old man. “What?”   
  


“Did you wake up Rey?” Han asked again, but didn’t wait for his son to answer before he went on. “She got in yesterday. Poor kid. She’s taking too many classes, trying to get her Bachelors and Masters in five years.”    
  


Ben didn’t care what she was doing at school. She was just a leech, taking advantage of his parents generosity and chipping away at his inheritance. She probably didn’t even work. She—   
  


— was here.   
  


_ Shit. _   
  


“Hey, Han!” Rey smiled, strolling right past Ben as if he didn’t exist.    
  


“Hey, Sunshine, how’d you sleep?”    
  


“Fine,” her reply was curt.    
  


Ben watched her fleeting back as she ducked into the back office. A few moments later she returned, wearing a small gray jumpsuit, much like the one Han had on. Her hair was out of her face, pulled back into three buns. The design was as odd as her name, but it fit. 

 

She climbed up the metal staircase to join Han with the plane’s engine and Ben found his presence instantly forgotten. Some things never changed. 

 

“I’ll just wait inside,” he snapped agitatedly.

 

“Ok,” Han waved, not even looking up from where he and Rey were bent over the engine. 

 

Ben scowled and stormed into the office. The square-shaped room was exactly as it had been the last time he visited. There were a few modifications, which he could tell were all influenced by Leia, but overall the office appeared hadn’t changed. 

 

He sunk into one of the two chairs on the client-side of his father’s desk. Rubbing his temples, Ben asked himself what he was doing here. Weren’t there songs written about why you couldn’t go back home? Not that this had ever been his home. It was just the closest he’d ever come to the concept. 

 

Snoke’s ultimatum was the final straw in a long list of questionable requests from the managing partner. It had eaten away at Ben for days until Snoke had called Ben into his office for his decision. His mentor had given Ben a directive, one he couldn’t avoid if he wanted to continue his career at Palpatine and Snoke. In order to fulfill his employer’s request he would have to betray his family, or more specifically his mother. 

 

Ben sighed, leaning back in the chair and closing his eyes. For everything Leia Organa-Solo had (or hadn’t) done during his childhood, the idea of blackmailing his mother so she would support Snoke running for Supreme Court Justice, made him physically ill. His mother had run on a platform for civil liberties and Ben knew Snoke was under no such illusions. Snoke sought order and control by limiting freedoms, convinced stricter standards would result in a better society. 

 

His protege couldn’t stomach that, so he resigned. The problem with quitting your job and moving back home unannounced was it left you with a wealth of free time. Free time was a concept Ben Solo hadn’t visited in many years. The sudden shift in his routine was only heightened by the tension he felt since meeting the girl. 

 

_ Rey _ . 

 

He waited over an hour for her to come back down after she stormed off, but when she didn’t appear, Ben decided to make himself breakfast and visit his father. 

 

The cross-country drive from Moriband had taken him the better part of two days, considering he’d left right from his office...well former office now, so a meal was necessary. The visit was less necessary, but also needed if he was going to have a place to sleep tonight. 

 

The sounds of metal clanking and power tools filled the hangar. Ben estimated it would be at least an hour before they were done, maybe longer if Han began speaking about his glory days. It was what he’d done when he brought Ben to Alderaan Airways as a boy. Ben suspected that hadn’t changed either. 

 

Bored, he glanced around, noticing a selection of picture frames situated on Han’s desk. Ben walked around behind the desk to inspect them. The first was of Han and Leia’s wedding day. Typical, unsurprising. The next picture was of them with a pair of dogs at the hangar when Han celebrated the twentieth anniversary of his business. Also typical. 

 

The third was unexpected. 

 

It was a graduation photo of Rey. She wore a traditional black gown and a wide smiling, holding her diploma in one hand and a bouquet of roses in another. Han and Leia flanked her, hugging her between them with giant grins of approval. 

 

Ben backed away, glowering at the image. He’d never gotten so much as an “atta-boy” from Han. He certainly hadn’t gotten a graduation photo. His mother had practically had to force Han to attend the ceremony. 

 

Seeing Rey’s photo proudly displayed reminded Ben why he hadn’t come home until now. There was no home. Not for him.

 

“Oh, you’re still here?” 

 

Ben whirled around, finding his replacement standing in the doorway. There was a smudge of grease on her cheek. He considered telling her, then spitefully decided not to. “This is my family’s property,” he replied coldly.

 

“Sure is,” she nodded, offering up no resistance as she plopped down into the seat he’d occupied only moments before. “You should probably stop by more often if you want to take it over one day.”

 

“What?”

 

“Alderaan Airways,” Rey answered. “Han isn’t getting any younger. He’s going to need you.”

 

“You don’t call him Dad?” Ben queried before he could stop himself. What did he care if she called Han ‘Dad’. He never had. 

 

“No,” she laughed. “He’s not my dad. He’s yours.”

 

Ben stared at her. 

 

“Look,” she started, her expression changing. “I think we got off on the wrong foot. I know I’m not the nicest when I haven’t eaten or when I haven’t gotten enough rest. Unfortunately for you, when we met I needed both.  _ Badly _ .” 

 

Ben wasn’t sure how to respond, so he didn’t. 

 

“Sorry about this morning,” she apologized. “Han admitted he should have told me I was finally going to meet you.”

 

“You...you know about me?”

 

“Of course,” Rey laughed again. “They’re very proud of you.” 

 

Ben sat down opposite from her, taking his father’s seat as he processed her admission. This was not how he expected the day to go. 

 

“You don’t make it easy,” she remarked after a moment.

 

“Make what easy?”

 

“Being second in line,” she responded. “Even when I started making Honor Roll it didn’t feel like enough, not when you were winning big cases out on the west coast. I mean, how do you compete with that?”

 

Ben was glad he was sitting down. He hadn’t known his parents were aware of what he was doing with his life. His mother had connections everywhere but he had always assumed she would rather not know. The quarterly check-in calls they maintained over the years were more about checking a box than actual communication. To find out they had been following his career this entire time, and not only following it, but praising it, was a shock. 

 

“I mean you could work for a nicer firm,” Rey went on. “I did some research on the place. They are the type to kick a puppy and then sue it for scuffing up their shoes, especially that Snoke guy. Do you know he’s been audited not once but twice? There’s got to be a reason for that. I mean, I know it’s supposed to be random, but come on! He’s gotta be bad news, right? But I’m sure if I had all those student loans, I’d take what I could get too.”

 

She really did like to talk. 

 

“Well lucky for you, you won’t ever need to worry about that,” Ben commented icily. 

 

He did not want to talk about Snoke. Not to his parents and certainly not to the girl they’d adopted to replace their wayward son. 

 

Her smile disappeared, replaced by that fierce defiant gaze he’d seen earlier. “What do you mean?”

 

“Since you weaseled your way into my parent’s life, they can serve as your personal piggy bank,” he sneered. “You don’t need to spend a dime.” 

 

Rey’s eyes widened in shock, then narrowed dangerously thin. “Says you. You haven’t even been here a day and already you think you have it all figured out, huh? At least I’m here for them when they need me, unlike their own flesh and blood.”

 

“A daughter for hire? Well that’s something I’ve never heard of before,” Ben scoffed, pushing up and away from the desk. 

 

“I’m not their daughter,” Rey informed him. 

 

“Oh, then what are you?” he asked skeptically.

 

“Legally, I guess, yes, I am their daughter, but I never took their name. I don’t steal things,” she snapped.

 

“Good. I’m glad your real parents taught you that at least.”

 

“My real parents didn’t teach me anything,” she retorted. 

 

“As if you’d listen,” he shot back.  

 

“Kinda hard to listen when they aren’t around!” Rey shouted and Ben realized he had underestimated the tiny thing. “My parents abandoned me when I was five,” she added, quieter, as she rose out of her seat. 

 

_ Of course they had… _

 

Because Ben Solo couldn’t just let things go. He had to royally fuck up everything in his life, including his first and second impression on this girl. In a vain attempt to salvage the conversation, he replied with the first thing that came to mind. 

 

“Isn’t that why there’s a government system in place?”

 

“There is a system,” Rey agreed, “but not everyone who serves in the system does it out of the goodness of their heart.”

 

Ben felt his stomach lurch, a sickening feeling twisting in his gut. “T-they hit you?” 

 

“No, the man I got stuck with, Unkar Plutt, used me as free labor. He cashed my checks to line his pockets instead of feeding me. If I complained, I was guaranteed no food for a couple of days. He didn’t have to hit me. He used hunger to keep me in line.” 

 

Suddenly, Ben saw a smaller version of Rey with her doe eyes begging for food. For years he had wondered why his parents had decided to adopt this random stranger. Now he understood. He had hated her for so long, blaming her for never reconciling with his parents, but he couldn’t put that on her. Not when she was watching him with those big hazel eyes. He could see the cracks then, beyond her wide smiles and dimples, beyond the smattering of freckles across the bridge of her nose. She wasn’t a thief. She was a survivor. 

 

“Your parents did me a favor,” she told him. “I never had any intention of taking them from you. I know what it’s like to be alone. My parents chose to leave me. There’s nothing I could do about that, but I never replaced you, Ben. I only needed somewhere to…belong.” 

 

Ben bit the inside of his cheek, unsure what to say. He’d never been good with people. He’d never had a reason to be. After growing up disappointed in his parents, who were equally disappointed in him, Ben had grown used to being alone. In his early thirties, he still didn’t possess the ability to have a civil conversation. A fact only made clearer with every passing moment he spent with Rey. 

 

He needed to go. It had been foolish of him to leave Palpatine and Snoke. It had been foolish of him to think he could come back to the island. It was foolish of him for trying to talk to this girl. 

 

There was nothing he could give her. 

 

“By the way,” Ben paused in the doorway. “You have grease on your face.” He tapped his own cheek to show her where. 

 

As he walked out, he saw a genuine smile break across her face. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thoughts on Ben's POV? I know there was quite a bit of angst here, but I promise the island paradise is going to change all of that. Well paradise _and_ a certain Surfer Girl...


	3. Don't Worry Baby

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _Well it's been building up inside of me for, oh I don't know how long_   
>  _I don't know why, but I keep thinking something's bound to go wrong_
> 
> Rey walks in on the Solo's fighting and has to face some very harsh truths....

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My continued thanks to [LoveofEscapism](https://archiveofourown.org/users/LoveofEscapism/pseuds/LoveofEscapism/works) for beta-ing!

Rey didn’t know what to make of Ben Solo. 

 

The way he’d spoken to her at the house was brash and condescending but the way he’d behaved at the hangar was... _conflicted_. At first glance, their interaction had been the same as their initial meeting. Yet, something had changed when he learned his parents hadn’t forgotten him. 

 

It hurt to see him caught off guard by her statement. Rey had always considered Han and Leia her safe harbor. They’d taken her in, sheltered her from the storm and when she was ready to go back out in the water, they were there cheering her on, while also waiting to allow her a place to return to. 

 

Based on Ben’s reaction, the same didn’t hold true for him. Rey wasn't sure how to feel about that. 

 

She’d mulled over it all afternoon, until Han had finally become fed up with her ‘space head’ and told her to go purge it in the salt water. 

 

“You’re burned out, kiddo,” he remarked. “Go have a dip in the ocean. Catch a few waves. Then we can start fresh tomorrow.”

 

Rey took her beat-up orange Jeep down to Pier 85, where the New Republic Surf Shop was located. The moment she walked into the store, a familiar voice shouted to her.

 

“Hey Sunshine, is it summer already?” 

 

Smiling, she made her way over to the owner, Poe Dameron, giving him a tight hug. “Hey you.”

 

“Hey, yourself.” Poe clapped a hand on her back. “How is school treating you?”

 

Rey shrugged as she stepped back. “It’s school. I think I did well on my finals, but now I’m ready for a break.”

 

Poe nodded knowingly. “I’ve got just the thing.” He ducked into the back room. She heard him rustling around and then he re-emerged with a shortboard tucked under his arm. “All waxed and ready to go,” he announced proudly, as he set it on the countertop. 

 

“You’re a lifesaver, Poe.” Rey grinned, eyeing her board. 

 

It had been months since she felt the fiberglass beneath her. She couldn’t wait to get out in the water. 

 

“How much do I owe you?” she asked, running her fingers over the underbelly. 

 

“On the house.” He waved at her dismissively. 

 

“Poe.” Rey reached into her back pocket.

 

“You fixed Bebe for me last summer,” he reminded her. “We’re even.”

 

She glanced out the front shop window to where his woodie wagon was sitting, proudly displaying various makes and models of boards. The old-school, orange classic had white pinstripes and the traditional wood paneling. It screamed surf culture to the locals and tourists alike.

 

“I can’t believe you named your car.” She shook her head, amused. 

 

“It’s my baby,” Poe insisted. “Of course I named it.” 

 

“Whatever,” Rey laughed. “You sure, I don’t owe you anything?”

 

“Not a dime, Sunshine,” Poe reiterated. “If you hurry, you might catch Finn and Rose. They were here a while ago to pick up their boards.”

 

“Really?” Rey asked excitedly. “Thanks, Poe!”

 

She hurried out of the shop, her board carefully pinned between her torso and her arm. After loading it inside the Jeep, Rey climbed into the cab and drove up to D’Qar Point. 

 

The spot was located at the northern end of the island, where developers hadn’t yet begun building. It also happened to be one of the best spots for surfing. The waves broke perfectly as they came in and you could almost always guarantee a perfect swell during the season. 

 

When she hit the access, Rey shifted, guiding her Jeep out onto the sand. 

 

Sure enough, no sooner than she had passed the dunes, Rey spotted her friends. Finn was already paddling out, while Rose was inspecting her fins. 

 

“Hey!” Rey shouted over her engine, pulling up. 

 

“Rey!” Rose beamed, leaving her board in the sand as she sprinted over. 

 

Rey jumped out of the Jeep just in time to be enveloped in a tight hug. 

 

“I’ve missed you,” Rose cried. “Otomok is nothing like the island.”

 

“Tell me about it,” Rey agreed. “I thought college was supposed to be fun!”

 

The two laughed, commiserating about their separate experiences, happy to be together once again. 

 

“Wet group hug!” Finn captured the girls, wrapping his soaked body around them. 

 

“Hey, Peanut.” He smiled at Rey as he released them. “I was wondering when you’d show up. Han let you out early?”

 

“It’s been a day.” Rey rolled her eyes and sighed.

 

“Salt water—.”

 

“—cures all wounds,” Rose and Rey joined in to finish the quote. 

 

It was one of Maz’s favorites. Finn’s grandmother said it almost daily, convinced the sea had a power of its own. She’d raised Finn since he was a baby. Like Rey, Finn was an orphan. It was one of the reasons they had bonded so quickly in kindergarten. 

 

When Rose moved to the island with her older sister, Paige and their parents in fifth grade, Finn and Rey welcomed her into their little circle with opened arms. The trio had been inseparable since. 

 

Which was why attending separate colleges was such a difficult choice. 

 

Rey hadn’t made many friends, aside from a few people she studied with on a regular basis. She was too studious, keeping her head buried in her work. She would rather maintain her GPA and her scholarship instead of going out to party like her roommate Kaydel. 

 

Rose and Finn were the same. They were on scholarships too, and didn’t want to chance losing their financial aid for one night of fun. 

 

Relief flooded through her, as Rey joined her friends on the shoreline. 

 

The stress of college was behind her now. All that she had to worry about was catching the next wave.

 

She dove in. 

 

* * *

 

The sun was starting to set when Rey and her friends finally called it quits.

 

“Same time tomorrow, Peanut?” Finn suggested. He was busy, carefully stacking Rose’s board on top of his own in the bed of his truck.

 

“I have to work tomorrow,” she replied, “but I’ll try to swing by in between there and dinner.”

 

“Sounds good.” Finn flashes her a grin.

 

Rose gave her a wave and then they were climbing into the truck. Rey watched them pull off the beach, following behind. When Finn turned to head into Jakku, she sighed.

 

It had been years since Plutt, but there were days Rey still found herself unable to turn down that street. She’d never been back to the bait shop and she had no plans to return.

 

She directed the Jeep towards her neighborhood, taking the scenic route down Beach Road.

 

Even though it was early in the summer season, Rey already saw signs of the tourists pouring in. The restaurants were filled to capacity, gift shops had their merchandise outside on the porch to entice buyers inside and the movie theater was actually playing first run films.

 

Smiling to herself, Rey let the salty breeze blow through her hair. She’d never grow tired of that scent. It was crisp and refreshing, so much better than the stale, recycled air of her dorm.

 

The patio lights were on by the time she parked in the driveway, as dusk settled over the island. Rey took the steps two at a time, racing in for a home cooked dinner.

 

She walked into a war zone.

 

As soon as she opened the door, a loud crash echoed from the kitchen, followed by shouting. Rey froze in the foyer, unused to the raised voices. She’d rarely heard Han or Leia fight.

 

“I didn’t!” Ben was hollering.

 

“But you thought about it, didn’t you?” Han accused. “I warned you about him. I told you Snoke was only using you for your connections.”

 

“Why do you think I’m here?” Ben shot back angrily.

 

“Han,” Leia sounded exhausted, her voice much quieter than either of the men.

 

“Leia, he’s going to come for us. He wants to crush you. You know that’s his play,” Han insisted.

 

“Snoke will find another way,” Ben informed them.

 

“How do you know?” Han asked. “Do you know what he’s planning?”

 

“That’s what I’ve been trying to tell you!”

 

“Well do a better job!” Han snarled.

 

Rey’s eyes widened and her hands trembled at her sides. She’d never heard him take such a tone before, not even when he’d rescued her from Plutt’s. Suddenly, Ben’s demeanor didn’t seem so mysterious.

 

“Maybe if you had taught me how to handle situations like this, I wouldn’t be floundering!”

 

“What the hell is that suppose to mean?” Han growled.

 

“I think you know,” scoffed Ben.

 

“Listen here, kid,” Han started raising his voice again. “I may not be the world’s best dad, but I was around, unlike my father.”

 

“You might have been around, but you weren’t here,” Ben challenged. “You didn’t help me with the Hux problem and then it was too late. You just got rid of me instead of dealing with it. Swept it under the rug.”

 

“You beat him half to death!”

 

“That’s enough!” Leia screamed, slamming something against the kitchen counter.

 

Rey jumped, startled by both sounds.

 

“Both of you wash up for dinner,” she ordered. “I’ll take care of this mess. Rey will be home any minute and I won’t have her seeing us like this. She just got home.”

 

“Right, your golden child,” Ben snapped.

 

“Ben, that’s not—.”

 

“Yes, it was,” he contended. “It was exactly what you meant.”

 

“Ben, you’re my only son,” Leia tried again, but he wasn’t having any of it.

 

“Don’t worry yourself, mom,” he grumbled. “Once I find a new job, I’ll be out of your hair and you can go back to campaigning with your picture perfect family.”

 

“Ben!”

 

Rey heard heavy footsteps coming her way, but she couldn’t move. The things she’d heard had paralyzed her with shock and fear. She felt as though she’d been living with strangers for the past several years.

 

A towering, dark mass came to stand over her. Slowly, she raised her watery eyes up to his face. Ben looked about as terrible as she felt, face flushed from shouting and his chocolate orbs glistening with unshed tears. Rey had the strange impulse to reach out and cup his chin, but she dismissed it.

 

“Sorry,” he huffed.

 

He brushed past her and walked out.

 

Leia came rushing out after him. The second she saw Rey, she stopped.

 

“Rey,” she breathed.

 

“What...what was that?”

 

“Rey, listen,” Leia started, as Han came down the hall.

 

“No,” Rey cut the older woman off. “You lied to me! You told me Ben moved out to California for his job. You never told me he didn’t have a choice!”

 

“It’s not that simple, kiddo,” Han sighed. “Ben was a troubled kid and—.”

 

“And what was I?” Rey cut him off. “Plutt was starving me to keep me compliant. I hid food under my mattress and in my closet for the first year I lived here.”

 

Leia appeared stricken, but Han just looked downright embarrassed. “I know.” He scratched the back of his neck and stared at the floor.

 

Tears threatened to fall. Rey held them off. “Is it true? Was I Ben’s,” she swallowed, struggling to say the word, “ _replacement_?”

 

Han glanced at Leia. It may have meant nothing, merely a husband searching for the right response, but to Rey it was damning.

 

She turned on her heel and went for the door. Just as her hand closed around the handle, Leia called out to her.

 

“Rey, where are you going?”

 

“Out.”

 

“You could stay,” Leia urged. “Dinner’s ready and I know you’re probably hungry after hitting the beach.”

 

“Actually,” Rey replied dejectedly, “I’ve lost my appetite.”

 

With that, she went out into the night.

 

 _Alone_.

 

* * *

 

The sand felt coarse and rough as Rey made her way down to the water’s edge. She didn’t normally view the tiny granules as uncomfortable, but with the sting of truth still on her skin, everything seemed suddenly harsher.

 

She plopped down on her knees, eyes following the rise and fall of the changing tide.

 

Time drifted along with the current. Rey’s thoughts swayed between Ben’s reaction to his parents and her own disappointment in the couple she’d believed were perfect. The reality of the situation was jarring.

 

Her phone buzzed in her bag. She made no move to retrieve it, convinced it was either Han, Leia or both of them. It wasn’t until her stomach rumbled that Rey checked what time it was.

 

11:53.

 

She groaned at the thought of waking up in several hours to report to the hangar for work. Maybe if she was lucky, Han wouldn’t come in and she’d be left alone to do her own thing.

 

Rey ignored the long list of notifications in her screen to open her contact list. She knew it wasn’t there. She still checked. The only Solo’s in her line-up were Han and Leia.

 

Defeated, she trudged back to the house.

 

The porch lights were still on, but inside the house was dark. Aside of her Jeep was an empty space where Ben’s sporty Lexus had sat this morning.

 

She decided she wasn’t going to bed without answers and took a seat on the porch swing. Rey lazily swung herself back and forth, waiting for the low hum of the luxury car’s engine.

 

As it was, she didn’t have to wait long.

 

Ben pulled onto their street, flicking off his lights. Rey watched him park the vehicle and climb up to where she was perched.

 

His eyebrows raised when he spotted her. “You waited up for me?”

 

“I didn’t know where you went or when you’d be back,” Rey reminded him. “I don’t have your cell number.”

 

“Han and Leia have it.”

 

“I’m not speaking to them,” she stated flatly.

 

“Why not?” he asked curiously.

 

“Because.” Rey stood and took a step towards him. “I wanted to hear your side of the story.”

 

“You’d be the first,” he muttered.

 

“I figured.”

 

They fell into silence, each staring at the other.

 

“So, what do you want to know?” he sighed, brushing a hand through his hair.

 

“Whatever you’re willing to tell me, Ben.”

 

“You probably aren’t going to like it,” he warned her.

 

“Probably not, but I need to know,” she pushed.

 

“Why?”

 

“Because whoever those people were tonight, they weren’t the people who raised me,” Rey explained.

 

“No,” Ben agreed, “they weren’t. They were the people who raised _me_.”

 

He sighed again, eyes flickering to the front door.

 

“We don’t have to talk in there,” Rey offered, holding out her hand. “Salt water cures all wounds.”

 

Ben hesitated, staring at her for a long tense moment. At first she worried she’d overstepped and he was going to go upstairs to bed. Then he wrapped his massive hand around hers.

 

They left the porch together and Rey led him the sea.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone who left such helpful and supportive comments on the last chapter. If you need some fluff right away, you can check out my RomCom fic for TWD's February Prompt Challenge, [LucasLand](https://archiveofourown.org/works/17734349/chapters/41840600). It's a Reylo twist on Austenland and Skywalker Ranch.


	4. That’s Not Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _I could try to be big in the eyes of the world_   
>  _What matters to me is what I could be to just one girl_
> 
> Ben's perception of Rey changes as the little surfer girl continues to surprise him...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to my lovely friend [LoveofEscapism](https://archiveofourown.org/users/LoveofEscapism/pseuds/LoveofEscapism/works) for offering such guidance on my chapters for this fic. If you haven't already, I highly recommend reading her new fic [Beauty of the Dark](https://archiveofourown.org/works/17788256/chapters/41969168)

When he pulled into the driveway, Ben was still fuming.

He was mad at his mother for questioning his motives. He was mad at Han for blaming Snoke’s actions on him. He was mad at Rey for being in the wrong place at the wrong time and inadvertently casting him as the villain. 

But when he saw her on the porch swing, all he felt was confusion. 

She’d waited up for him. No one had ever waited up for him before, not his parents and certainly not Luke. So when she took him by the hand and led him to the ocean, all Ben felt was a strange flood of warmth.

There was something oddly calming about Rey. The way she’d reacted to the fight was unexpected, as was the adamant way she sided with him, even though they were practically strangers. Ben had never had someone on his side before. It soothed the raging monster inside, quieting his impulse to destroy things. 

As they drew closer to the water, he realized Rey was like the sea itself. Like the waves which crashed along the shoreline, she was determined. Like the slow ebb and rise of the tide, she was dependable. And like the currents unseen, she had a hidden strength inside, the will of a survivor. 

She was nothing like what he’d expected. 

Rey came to a halt about a foot from the water’s edge and sat in the cool sand. She tilted her head up at him expectantly before patting the area next to her. Gingerly, Ben knelt down. 

He waited for her to speak. She didn’t, which left the silence between them to be filled with sounds of the ocean and a light breeze.

Ben hated idle time. He preferred to be busy, a personal tic he’d had long before working at Palpatine and Snoke. The longer he and Rey sat wordlessly in the sand, the more he wondered if it had been the right decision to come home at all. Maybe it would have been better for everyone if he had just gone off to some remote part of the country, like his uncle had. 

“If you don’t want to tell me, that’s ok,” Rey told him. “But if you want to talk, I’ll be here.”

It was then that Ben realized she was still waiting for him. They may have left the porch, but Rey was still hanging on. She was content to allow him to say as much or as little as he chose to. 

She treated him like a human, not an obligation. 

“Where should I start?” he asked.

“Wherever you want.”

With the time difference from California, he wasn’t tired, but he caught Rey covering up a yawn. He decided it was now or never.

Ben waded in, steadily at first, then all at once, ducking himself completely under. 

He let her know about his childhood, how his features were too big for his body, how the other kids were cruel. He shared his fears about going to school and how he’d voiced those fears to his father. He stumbled over his retelling of the events that led to punching out Armitage Hux in college, but regained his footing when he admitted to feeling accomplishment with Palpatine and Snoke.

Ben wasn’t sure how long he spoke about his past. He felt as though he was having an out of body experience. As if he was watching himself through someone else’s eyes, Ben saw himself tell Rey everything. She never interrupted him, not to ask for clarification or add her opinion. She simply sat there—listening. 

He’d never recognized how much he needed that. 

It had been years since he had anyone to confide in. Having found that person in the girl he’d loathed, the girl he’d labeled as his replacement, felt surreal. Ben had always assumed she was just a spoiled princess.

He couldn’t have been more wrong.

Had their roles been reversed, Ben knew he’d have let her storm out of the house and gone to bed. He wouldn’t have had any trouble falling asleep. He wouldn’t have waited up all night for her to come home, especially if he had to work the next day. He definitely wouldn’t be spending the next few hours on the beach listening as she purged herself of her past. 

The sky was turning a faint pink by the time he finished his tale. He found his mouth dry and his skin pebbled with goosebumps. Rey’s eyes were red, whether from the tears she’d shed or from being delirious with the need to sleep, he couldn’t tell. 

They fell back into silence for a few minutes. 

Then Ben felt her hand slide over top of his in the sand. 

“After you left, after I heard the truth,” she paused, closing her eyes and swallowing, “I didn’t know what to do.” Her eyes opened and fresh tears rolled down her cheeks. “When I was sent to live with Plutt, it wasn’t great, but I knew who he was. Last night was like the rug being ripped out from under me. Everything I thought I knew was wrong. I’ve never felt so alone.”

“You’re not alone.” Ben wrapped his fingers around her hand. 

Rey turned to look at him. In the morning light, he saw the streaks of her tears shine like tattoos of gold on her bronze skin. She gave his hand a squeeze.

“Neither are you.”

* * *

 

Ben woke late in the afternoon.

After the beach, they’d come back to the house, sneaking upstairs to their respective rooms before Han and Leia woke to begin their days. Even with Rey’s calming effect, Ben wasn’t ready to face his parents yet. 

He fell into bed and slipped into a blissful, dreamless sleep. A sleep which he had every intention of remaining in, until he heard the racket outside.

Someone was honking. And not just honking. Obnoxiously honking, as in laying on the horn with no end in sight, honking.

With a groan, he rolled over. His clock read 3:17pm, a time which would have made California Lawyer Ben cringe. For jobless Island Ben, the only concern was the idiot who was keeping from sleeping the remainder of his day away.

He heard a thud and a muttered curse, signaling the annoying sound hadn’t only woken him. Elephant-esq stomping, which confirmed it was Rey, followed. 

“Knock it off, Finn!” she shrieked.

Ben tried to see the driveway from his window, but all he caught was the back-end of an old truck. There was a reply yelled back at Rey and then the rev of an engine. Ben didn’t know who this ‘Finn’ was but, after the compassion she’d shown him, he didn’t like the idea of anyone yelling at Rey. He was going to make sure the guy never bothered her again. 

He flew down the stairs, nearly falling as he hurried to the front door Rey had left open. When he got to the porch, he stood there, glaring at the guy in his driveway. He was leaning against an older model truck, arms crossed over his chest, but when he saw Ben, his face morphed into a scowl. The gesture only set Ben off further.

“Hey, she’s not interested loser,” Ben shouted. “Take off.”

“Rey, who is this?” The guy asked, staring at her and ignoring Ben. 

“This is Ben,” she replied, as if it explained everything. She came to his side. “It’s fine,” she assured him quietly. “Finn’s a friend.”

“He’s rude,” Ben growled, his eyes never leaving the other man’s face. He didn’t trust him. 

“I’m sorry he woke you up,” Rey apologized. “They came to pick me up to go surfing.”

“They?” 

Ben scanned the truck and sure enough there was another person sitting inside. A petite girl with dark hair and wide eyes was peering out at him. 

 _Great. Another wonderful first impression by Ben Solo,_ he thought ruefully.

“Do you want to come?”

His eyes flashed to Rey’s face. “What?”

He couldn’t remember the last time he’d been invited to hang out.

“We’re going to D’Qar Point.” Rey smiled. When he didn’t immediately agree to join them, she added, “Beats moping around here until Han and Leia get home, right?”

“Oh.” Ben stared at her wondering how to tell her that he didn’t actually know how to surf. It wasn’t a fact he’d brought up last night, though it had been one of the many reasons he’d been teased growing up. Everyone on the island went to the beach. Everyone fished and crabbed and surfed. 

Everyone except Ben.

“I don’t have a board,” he informed her. It wasn’t a lie, but it was an excuse.

“That’s ok.” She grinned and Ben figured he was off the hook, so to speak. “I know  someone who can help us with that.”

_Or not..._

“Finn,” Rey called to her friend over her shoulder, “we’ll meet you there. We need to make a pit stop first.”

“Alright, Peanut,” the guy replied as he waved. He waited until Rey turned away, then he shot Ben a wary glare. 

The truck backed out, as Rey bounded back inside. She was already up in her room when Ben shut the front door. He followed, unenthusiastically. 

* * *

  
Rey’s idea of the perfect place was New Republic Surf Shop. The second she pulled her joke of a vehicle into the parking lot, Ben tensed up. He hadn’t been inside a surf store in years. And for good reason. He didn’t know a single thing about the sport and public humiliation wasn’t something he was interested in.

“Come on.” Rey waved him along. “Poe will help get you all sorted out.”

“Poe?” he questioned, feeling more uncomfortable by the second. “Poe Dameron?”

“He’s a friend,” Rey continued, taking Ben’s hand and leading him inside before he could protest. 

Ben didn’t know how someone as old as he was could be friends with a twenty-year-old. Then again, Rey had taken a strange liking to him so he supposed it wasn’t so hard to believe. If she could be friends with him, she could be friends with anyone.

Was that what they were? Friends? 

He had used that term so rarely in his life. By all accounts, Rey was his friend. Defending him, listening to him, inviting him to hang out — those were all things friends did, right?

Busy musing over the title, he missed Rey stopping at the counter and walked into her.

“Sorry,” he muttered, dropping her hand to place his hand on her lower back. 

She looked so tiny compared to him. He worried about hurting her with his clumsiness, but all his concern died when a familiar face appeared on the opposite side of the counter.

“Ben Solo! Didn’t think I’d ever see you again.”

“Hi Poe,” Ben greeted him.

Rey glanced between them. “You two know each other?”

“Sure do!” Poe grinned broadly. “Solo and I graduated together.”

“Oh.” Rey seemed surprised. She nudged Ben’s arm playfully. “You don’t look that old.”

He stared at her. Was she...was she making fun of Poe? Star quarterback for Tatooine High, voted Most Likely to Succeed, Prom King — _that_ Poe Dameron? 

“Watch it, Niima,” Poe shot back at Rey. 

Ben blinked. “Niima?”

“Yeah.” She was still smiling at him. “That’s my last name. Or at least it’s the one the state gave me.”

“Oh.”

Rey told him she hadn’t replaced him, but hearing that she hadn’t taken his parent’s after the adoption made it real for Ben. Names held power. He’d learned that lesson early on.  

“What can I do you for?” Poe asked.

“This one,” Rey said and jutted her thumb out, “needs a board.” She eyed Ben from head to toe. “Probably a longboard. I don’t think they make shortboards or hybrids in his size.”

“Probably not, unless you want a custom order,” Poe agreed with a chuckle. “Longboards are the best for beginners.”

Ben felt heat spread across his face, up to the top of his ears. Rey studied him and realization dawned in her hazel orbs.

“You’re a novice?”

“Yeah,” he admitted softly, brushing his hair to hide his ears.

“Don’t worry,” Rey caught his hand, stilling his nervous gesture, and gave it a squeeze, “all you need is a teacher.”

He wanted to warn her that Han had tried, but it was nice to have someone take an interest in him for something he lacked rather than for something he could provide. Ben wanted to chase that feeling.

They met Poe in the longboard section, where he proceeded to show off a few options. Ben nearly walked out when he saw the price tags. He thought surfing was a hippie sport. He had no idea why he needed to pay over a grand for a piece of wood.

“It’s not wood,” Rey giggled.

“Well, it’s not wood anymore,” Poe clarified. Ben raised a brow and he elaborated. “The cores are polyurethane foam.”

 _Perfect._ He wasn’t paying for a piece of shiny wood. He was paying for a piece of _foam_. Ben inwardly groaned.

“I’ll cut you a discount, since Sunshine took such good care of my baby,” Poe promised.

“You’re married?” Ben asked, surprised Poe had chosen to settled down. Ben had pegged him as a lifelong bachelor.

“Nah, come on, Solo.” Poe smacked him on the shoulder. “You know me better than that.” He led Ben to the storefront window and pointed to the orange woodie wagon. “ _That’s_ my baby.”

“A car?” Ben’s brow furrowed.

“Bebe is _not_ just a car,” Poe insisted. “Bebe is a work of art.”

“Whatever you say.” Rey rolled her eyes. Then to Ben she asked, ”see anything you like?”

 _You_ , he thought. _I like you._

But he didn’t say that.

He wound up buying a Chemistry board, swiping his Amex Black card when the total displayed on the screen.

“Big spender, huh, Solo?” Poe teased.

“Something like that,” he muttered.

Ben was glad Rey was busy browsing the spring clearance rack. He really didn’t want to flash his wealth around, not after what she’d shared with him yesterday. In an ironic turn of events, she wasn’t the spoiled princess he’d painted her to be. He was.

Poe had Ben sign for the purchase, while he placed the board in a drawstring canvas bag. By the time it was all wrapped up, Rey was back, a huge smile on her face.

“Let’s go!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Time to hit the beach!


	5. You’re So Good to Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _You take my hand and you understand_   
>  _When I get in a bad mood, you’re so good to_
> 
> Rey proves she's an excellent teacher when she takes Ben out on the water for his first surf lesson

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone who's been reading and for the lovely comments. I read each one and they truly brighten my day.
> 
> Many thanks to [LoveofEscapism](https://archiveofourown.org/users/LoveofEscapism/pseuds/LoveofEscapism/works) for making this chapter (and all the others one too) readable!

D’Qar Point was empty, minus the four of them. Finn and Rose were already in the water when Rey parked her Jeep. She helped Ben unload their boards. He seemed tense  _ again _ . She hoped he would loosen up once she got him in the water. 

 

To her, surfing was an escape. It offered control in an uncontrollable world, even if that control was only a temporary illusion. One of the reasons she had suggested Ben join them was because she believed he could benefit from the same escapism. 

 

The other reason was because she didn’t want him to disappear again. If she could build a connection with him, he’d have a reason to stay on the island. Surfing seemed to be the best option for achieving that. 

 

Rey had always shown a natural ability out on the water. The first time she’d paddled out, she felt something inside of her awaken. Despite her skill, and Poe’s teasing, she’d never pursued it competitively, convinced such a path would ultimately lead her to give up her hobby. 

 

She wondered if that was what had happened to Ben. Though, initially she thought him rude and arrogant, Rey was beginning to understand he was neither. In fact, he was actually sweet. He just had an odd way of showing it.    
  


Rey held her hand over her eyes, shielding herself from the sun as she scoped out where the waves were breaking. For a beginner, the larger swells would be too intimidating. She needed to find a place shallow enough for him to stand until he got comfortable with the surf.    
  


He brought their boards over and began to peel his out of its bag. Rey jogged back to the Jeep to grab her bag with the surfing wax inside. Ben was still struggling with unsheathing his board when she sat down beside him.    
  


“Here, let me.” She yanked the end of the bag off with one clean pull.    
  


“Thanks.” Ben’s cheeks were tinged pink, reminding her of the other items in her bag.    
  


“You’ll need a healthy layering of this before we start.” Rey tossed him sunscreen.    
  


Ben began to apply the product all over, while she fastened her leash around her ankle. He inclined his head towards her foot.    
  


“Is that really necessary?”    
  


She shot him a look that told him it was. “If you lose your board out there, how are you going to get it back? How are you going to keep it from hitting someone else?”   
  


He had no answer.   
  


“You always —  _ always  _ — wear your leash,” Rey instructed. “Surfing 101.”   
  


“Noted.” He stared out at the water, watching as Finn completed a sharp bottom turn. “When do I learn how to do that?” There was a mixture of both awe and apprehension in his voice.    
  


“Later,” Rey laughed, watching as his visibly relaxed. “ _ Much _ later. First we practice here.”   
  


“On the sand?”   
  


“Yep.” She grinned. “Ready?”   
  


* * *

“You almost got it!” Rey praised excitedly.    
  


Ben groaned as his massive form made contact with the sand,  _ again _ . He was having difficulty popping up on his board. The problem was his footing. He struggled to maintain it once he placed the balls of his feet down. She knew this step was the most challenging aspect of surfing, but it was better to perfect it while on land, than try to learn in the water.

 

They’d been at it for over an hour and she could tell he was beginning to lose interest.

 

Rey demonstrated the swift motion again. His dark eyes watched as her feet tucked under her and her arms pushed up simultaneously, jumping into position.    
  


“Try it again,” she urged.    
  


While Ben mimicked her movements, Rose and Finn strolled over.    
  


“Hey, how’s it going?” Rose asked kindly.    
  


Rey had texted them back at Poe’s shop to let them know she’d be spending more time in the sand than in the surf this afternoon.    
  


“It’s his first day,” Rey replied. “But he’s doing great. Right, Ben?”   
  


“You make it look easy,” he grumbled, keeping his head down.    
  


“You have good form,” Rose observed encouragingly.    
  


Finn made a skeptical face at the girls, until Rose jabbed him with her elbow. “Ouc— yeah, you look good, man. Just need to work on your balance.”   
  


“Thanks,” Ben huffed out, landing in the sand once more.    
  


“We’re going to head out, Peanut,” Finn announced. “I’ve got to drop Rose off before I help Maz with dinner.”    
  


“Tell her I said hi.” Rey hugged her best friend.    
  


“Will do, Peanut. See you tomorrow?”   
  


“I’ll be here,” she promised.    
  


“Bye, girl.” Rose hugged her next. “See you tomorrow, Ben!” She waved, before trailing after Finn.    
  


“Not likely,” Ben murmured once they were out of earshot.   
  


Rey knelt down next to where he was lying on his board. “What was that, Solo?”   
  


“I can’t do this,” he mumbled.    
  


“Of course you can!” Rey insisted.    
  


“Here.” She crouched down by his feet. “Move this one.” Rey carefully guided his rear foot back. “And then this one.” She grabbed his opposite ankle, pushing it forward about half an inch. “Now, can you jump up into this exact position?”   
  


“I’ll try,” he replied, eyeing his revised footing.    
  


Rey straightened up, wiping the sand from her kneecaps as she did so. The sun was descending in the sky, but the summer heat was still burning through her rash guard. She crossed her arms in front of her, grabbing the hem, and then peeled the fabric off her torso in one clean swipe.    
  


Ben landed in the sand again.    
  


“You’ve almost got it,” she cheered, tossing the rash guard on top of her bag, oblivious to the way he was staring at her newly exposed skin. “Just keep loose. Bend your knees.”    
  


He rose, protesting under his breath.    
  


“Once more,” Rey rallied. “I have a good feeling about this.”   
  


“Really?” Ben grumbled sarcastically. “‘Cause I have a bad feeling about this.”    
  


“We aren’t leaving this beach until you catch your first wave,” Rey vowed.    
  


She watched him sigh, but he got into position again and —   
  


— landed perfectly on top of his longboard.    
  


“Ben!”   
  


“I...I didn’t fall over.” He gaped at her in disbelief.    
  


“No, you didn’t,” she agreed, biting her lip to keep from laughing at his wondrous expression. He looked far younger in that moment than ever before.    
  


Still grinning, he picked up his board.   
  


“Wait, where do you think you’re going?” Rey asked.   
  


Ben’s gaze flickered from the water to her and then back again. “But—.”   
  


“You did it right,  _ once _ ,” she pointed out. “Now do it about twenty more times just like that.”   
  


He groaned. Rey laughed.    
  


But Ben did do it again and again and again, until each time he jumped up, he hit the position without a single waver of his long limbs.    
  


Rey was beaming by the time she escorted him to the sea.   
  


“If you can’t get up right away, don’t get frustrated, alright?” she reminded him. Ben nodded, yet she knew he wasn’t actually listening.    
  


“And remember, when you do get up, bend your knees. Locking out isn’t going to do you any favors. You have to be able to feel the shift of the current under your board. Understand?”    
  


Another nod. Rey shook her head smiling. He was like a horse with blinders on — complete tunnel vision.    
  


She stepped into the ocean, reveling in the feel of the salt spray. One day had passed and it already felt like she’d been away too long. Like a fish out of water, Rey yearned to be back in the depths. She walked out until she was at waist height, before dunking herself under.    
  


When she emerged, Ben was watching her with a perplexed expression.   
  


“What?” she laughed.   
  


“You act like a kid,” he observed.    
  


“What’s wrong with that?”    
  


He opened his mouth to answer, but then promptly snapped it shut. She saw him retreating back in on himself. “It’s fine. Let’s get this humiliation over with.”    
  


“Ben.” Rey reached for his arm, but he paddled out of range.    
  


All afternoon he’d been doing well. The time away from the house and his parents seemed to be working. Rey had seen more of the real Ben since they arrived at D’Qar Point than she’d anticipated. She hated not knowing what she’d done to make him clam up again.    
  


Following his lead, she paddled herself out.    
  


They sat, straddling their boards far enough out that the water came just above Ben’s waist, but where they could still catch an incoming wave as it broke.    
  


Rey was tempted to say something —  _ anything _ — to get Ben talking again. With each passing second of silence, she worried he was closing himself off from her again.    
  


Then he turned to her.    
  


“Thank you.”   
  


At first, Rey wasn’t sure she had heard him right. Part of her was convinced she’d imagined his words, but when she glanced at him, he was staring right at her with an expectant look.    
  


Her lips turned upwards into a smile. “You’re welcome.”   
  


He started to say something else, when she felt the rise of the water. Her attention snapped over her shoulder at the incoming wave.    
  


“This one, Ben, this is it!”   
  


His eyes widened in anticipation.   
  


“Paddle, paddle!”   
  


His strong arms began windmilling through the water, propelling him forward with the wave.    
  


Rey clapped, excitedly. “Now, Ben! Stand up!” 

 

She watched him push up, a bit too forcefully, and lose his balance.   
  


“Fall backwards!” Rey cried, internally chiding herself for not teaching him how to wipe out before she got him in the water.    
  


Ben managed to do as she directed, plunging in. His board went careening off to the side before the leash went taut and bungeed back to him.    
  


When he resurfaced, his eyes were dark. She could see his agitation in the way he held his shoulders. He paddled back out to her position.    
  


“We all fall the first time,” Rey admitted.    
  


Ben shot her a disbelieving glare. “I bet you didn’t.”   
  


The fact her cheeks were red had nothing to do with the sun and everything to do with the way he continued to stare at her long after his initial disappointment faded.    
  


“I did,” she informed him. “But I came right back out here and did it again, until I didn’t anymore. It took me all day, but it was worth it.”   
  


His expression softened and he dropped his gaze to his board. “Well, it’s not like I have anywhere else to be,” he chuckled, the tension between his shoulder blades easing away. “Though, you might be here all night with me.”   
  


“Oh, no,” Rey giggled. “You aren’t ready for night surfing yet.”   
  


“Why not?” His forehead creased in confusion.    
  


“Sharks hunt at night, Ben,” she replied offhandedly.    
  


He jerked. “What?”   
  


She just continued to giggle. “Oh come on, don’t you remember anything from Ms. Holdo’s biology lectures?”    
  


His skin suddenly looked a lot paler. Rey maneuvered closer to him. “Don’t worry, Ben. They tend to keep away from the shore during the tourist season. Besides they are more afraid of you than you are of them.”   
  


“I highly doubt that.”   
  


Rey rolled her eyes. “As long as you aren’t swimming around in chum, you should be fine.”   
  


Ben didn’t appear put at ease by her response. Luckily, another perfect wave came up.    
  


“Go, go, go!” She cheered.   
  


Like before, he quickly caught the wave, riding the top as he jumped into position. He wobbled a bit, but managed to remain upright for ten full seconds before wiping out.    
  


“Ben, that was great!” Rey congratulated him.    
  


And so it went on.   
  


Each time, Ben grew more confident in his abilities. Whether he managed to stay up for a few seconds or not, Rey praised each attempt as if it was a record breaking achievement. She wanted him to be proud of his progress.    
  


When dusk began closing in on them, Rey worried she wouldn’t be able to fulfill her promise. While night surfing could be an otherworldly experience, it was definitely something meant for experienced surfers. She’d rather risk Ben’s disappointment than risk him suffering a serious injury. 

 

“Why can’t I get it?” he asked, frustration lacing his tone as he paddled back to their spot.   
  


“You will.” Rey patted his arm. “You are doing so well.”   
  


He pursed his lips, contemplating for a moment. “You haven’t gone yet,” Ben pointed out, “not once all day.”   
  


Rey shrugged. “It’s fine.”   
  


“We could go together?” he suggested.    
  


She laughed. “It’s not proper surfing etiquette.”   
  


Ben’s eyes widened. “There’s an etiquette?”   
  


“Of course.” She grinned and explained a few points, like how it was rude to drop-in on someone else’s wave or how you didn’t paddle out in someone’s path.    
  


“I guess that makes sense,” he acknowledged. “But you should still go. At least once.”   
  


Rey’s body was itching to chase the rush of feeling the ocean water wrap around her as she skimmed the surface. She paused, feeling selfish for wanting to ride the next wave so badly.    
  


“Go, Rey.” Ben knocked his knee into hers.    
  


“Alright.” She smiled.    
  


It was just one ride.    
  


Rey paddled out deeper, past the point where she could touch. The waves weren’t breaking as consistently out here, but she knew the best rides were worth waiting for. Lying on her stomach, her back foot in the water, she felt the subtle rise and fall of the ocean.    
  


There were days when Rey felt in tune with the waves, as if the power coursing through them was the same as what she carried within herself. According to the zodiac, she wasn’t a water sign.    
  


Ben was.    
  


She recalled Leia mentioning his birthday being November 11th. Rey was an Aries, which made her a fire sign and not compatible with a Scorpio, like Ben.    
  


But Rey had never put stock in hokey superstitions like astrology.    
  


Not that she was worried about how compatible her and Ben were. They were just friends.    
  


_ Right?  _   
  


Right, because that’s what you call your-kinda-sorta-not-really-at-all brother who you’d only just met.    
  


Yeah, that  _ totally  _ made sense.    
  


Furthermore, why did it matter? She would be going back to college at the end of the summer and Ben would be...well she wasn’t sure what he’d be doing, but it certainly wouldn’t be going back to college with her.    
  


And why did that fact bother her? She barely knew Ben.    
  


Just because they’d had a heart to heart under the stars and spent the day surfing together didn’t mean anything. Just like how it meant nothing that her cheeks kept heating up when she looked at his bare chest. Just like how it didn’t mean anything that Rey — surfer girl, Rey — had spent the entire day at the beach without riding a single wave to ensure he had a good time.    
  


She bit her bottom lip.    
  


_ Maybe. _ ..maybe it did mean something.   
  


Rey wasn’t sure what that something was, but whatever it was, it was complicated.    
  


Her mind was spiraling like Alice falling into Wonderland. She nearly missed the tell-tale lift of the water beneath her.    
  


The wave brought her back to herself. Frantically, she paddled, barely catching it before it broke.    
  


She glided past Ben, giving him a smile before she angled her board across the wave. Her body weight leaned forward, directing her along the length of it. As she traveled further inland and down the beach, Rey beamed.    
  


This was what she had needed.   
  


After everything which transpired the night before, this was how she cleansed her mind. With a satisfied grin, Rey allowed her body to fall backwards into the water. The sea surrounded her, as the wave crashed over her head.    
  


She surfaced, still smiling.    
  


Once she got back on her board, Rey made her way out to Ben.   
  


“Feel better?” He questioned knowingly.    
  


“Thanks, I needed that,” Rey replied genuinely. “Now it’s your turn.”

 

Ben waited for the right wave to come. 

 

It was like witnessing the scene in slow motion. Rey watched as he rose in one fluid motion, the muscles and sinew of his body all working in tandem. Perfectly orchestrated, his form crouched low on the board. His feet remained planted in the appropriate spot and he kept his arms out, balancing himself. His shoulder length hair fluttered around, as the water propelled him toward the beach. 

 

“Yes!” Rey pulled a John Bender and fist pumped the sky. 

 

The next second, she was paddling into the shore to meet Ben.

 

“I did it! Did you see that?” he exclaimed excitedly, almost forgetting his board in the water as he ran over to meet her. “Did you see that?”

 

“I told you.” Rey grinned triumphantly. “I’m an excellent teacher.”

 

“I can’t believe I did that.” Ben brushed a hand through his hair, staring out at the horizon, deep in thought. Then quieter, he mused out loud. “I’m thirty years old and I  _ just _ learned how to surf.”

 

“See.” Rey leaned into him with a playful smirk. “You _ can _ teach an old dog new tricks.”

 

“Old dog, huh?” He quirked a brow at her. 

 

“Well...” She shrugged. “You  _ did _ graduate with Poe.”

 

To say she was surprised when Ben scooped her up was an understatement, but her squeals of protest were swallowed by the sea, when he tossed her in. 

 

“Who’s old now?” He called to her, when she resurfaced sputtering.

 

Rey shook her head, smiling to herself, as she watched him take his board out past her for another ride. 

 

One day at the beach couldn’t cure all of Ben Solo’s wounds, but it was a start. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ben's POV next...
> 
> And tomorrow, I'm updating LucasLand!


	6. When I Grow Up (To Be A Man)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _When I grow up to be a man, will I dig the same things that turn me on as a kid?_   
>  _Will I look back and say that I wish I hadn't done what I did? Will I joke around and still dig those sounds?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No Shirt, No Shoes...Big Problem Spotify Playlist is [here](https://open.spotify.com/user/12179392034/playlist/7hx7ywi5m1t3GDWinrdrlw?si=HYKy32ARQgeKyHtBdKHwrg)! 
> 
> Thank you to my dear, dear friend (who is also my beta)[LoveofEscapism](https://archiveofourown.org/users/LoveofEscapism/pseuds/LoveofEscapism/works)!!! Your comment and feedback give me life <3

****

 

Ben suspected his parents wouldn’t be pleased when he arrived back at his childhood home with Rey. He expected them to yell, accuse him of corrupting their precious replacement child.

 

He was completely wrong.

 

Neither Han or Leia acted as if anything was amiss. In fact, the only ones who greeted him and Rey were Chewie and Threepio. The dogs, ever faithful companions, appeared at the front door the second he and Rey walked in.

 

She immediately knelt down, scratching them behind the ears and cooing praise. While she lavished the pups with love, he strolled into the kitchen, waiting for the eminent blow.

 

But it never came.

 

“We’re having jambalaya,” Han announced.

 

Confused, Ben glanced over at his mother, who was sitting in the breakfast nook, reviewing a mountain of files. The various papers were spread out across the countertop and she held a red pen in one hand and a highlighter in the other. She glanced up at him from behind her glasses.

 

“Did you two have a nice day?”

 

_It is an area which we call the Twilight Zone._

 

Ben’s brow creased. Was this invasion of the body snatchers? Where was his furious father and his overbearing mother? Where was the backlash for disappearing? Where was the judgement for taking Rey away with him?

 

“How was surfing, dear?” Leia asked, when the girl entered the kitchen behind Ben.

 

She turned to Ben with a perplexed expression. Apparently he wasn’t the only one puzzled by their warm reception. Like the last twenty-four hours hadn’t even happened.

 

“It was fine,” Rey answered slowly. It was clear that, like him, she was waiting for the fallout. “Ben picked it up quick.”

 

“Rey made a surfer out of you, huh?” Han chuckled. He still hovered over the stove, stirring the contents of a rather large pot. Ben could smell the seasoning from where he stood rooted in the entryway.

 

“She’s a good teacher,” Ben replied carefully.

 

Han made a humming noise and nodded.

 

Rey appeared uncomfortable. She mumbled something about showering off from the salt and disappeared upstairs, leaving Ben alone with his parents for the first time since their argument the prior evening.

 

“So,” Han began. “Have you made any decisions about what you’re going to do now that you aren’t working for Snoke?”

 

Ben hadn’t.

 

It was one thing to throw away his career and come home with his tail between his legs. It was another to pick himself up and try to salvage his future. He hadn’t decided yet how he was going to go about that.

 

His silence conveyed as much to his parents.

 

“Maybe Lando knows of something for the county?” Han suggested.

 

“Or you could check with Amilyn,” Leia offered. “She’s the new superintendent.”

 

There it was.

 

Even though it was veiled as a recommendation, Ben could sense his parents’ disapproval. They were horrified when he’d gone to work for Palpatine and Snoke, but now that he’d quit, they were equally displeased with his unemployed status. There seemed to be no happy medium.

 

“I can find myself a job,” he grumbled. “I don’t need a hand-out from one of your friends.”

 

“They aren’t just our friends, Ben,” Leia corrected him. “They are family. Lando and Amilyn were both there when you were born.”

 

He held up a hand, effectively silencing her. “Getting a job from them means I’m not earning it,” he explained. “When I get a new position, it’s going to be on _my_ terms.”

 

“You think you got the position with Snoke on your terms?” Han questioned, his expression doubtful.

 

Ben felt the calm Rey had cast over him start to wane. Like the phases of the moon, each comment from his parents wearing away at him, as he quickly became a sliver of himself.

 

“I didn’t ask for any favors,” Ben reminded his father.

 

“No, but he did.”

 

That was a low blow. He’d come back here to atone for his mistakes. Ben could see what Snoke was. In a way, he’d always known, but he’d been so hell-bent on distancing himself from his parents he’d never asked why his mentor took such a keen interest in him.

 

Not until it was too late.

 

Having his failure thrown back in his face was not making him feel particularly grateful to be back. Han was back to blaming him, and Leia, well she remained in her seat, pulled between their discussion and her work. If it came down to one or the other, Ben already knew she’d chose the latter.

 

She always had.

 

Seething internally, Ben opened his mouth to snap at both of them.

 

“Shower’s free,” Rey announced, walking in with her damp hair curling at her nape.

 

Ben exhaled in one long drag. She had impeccable timing, his little surfer girl.

 

Wait, what?

 

When had he begun thinking of her as _that_? And when had he begun thinking of her as _his_?

 

She gifted him with a small smile, as she walked past to gather up the utensils and the dishes for their dinner.

 

For a moment, all Ben could do was stare at her. She moved effortlessly through the kitchen, slicing through the thick tension the same way he’d seen her cut across the waves at D’Qar Point.

 

Leia and Han went back to their tasks, obviously far more concerned about Rey’s approval than his own. It should have bothered him. They acted so differently around Rey, but he had to admit that he did too. It was hard not too. Rey was so light, so caring. How could he ever be angry with her?

 

Whether she wanted to be or not, Rey was clearly the child his parents had always wanted. Ironically though, she didn’t want them to give her special treatment. She only wanted a home. _Love._ Ben could relate.

 

The only difference was she had found it, while he was still searching.

 

Then she smiled at him again and he wondered if perhaps he had found it.

 

In the most unexpected of places.

 

He helped her set the table, unaware of the wary glance exchanged between his parents.

 

* * *

 

Dinner was awkward. There was no other word for it. 

 

The four of them sat together in the dining room, a place previously reserved only for special occasions. Han sat at the head of the table, while Leia was seated to his right, next to Rey. Ben sat across from his mother on Han’s left. 

 

For a solid five minutes, not a single one of them spoke. The only sounds were the clinks of their spoons as they ate their jambalaya and the heavy pants of Chewie and Threepio. The two dogs sat between Han and Ben, waiting patiently for something to drop. 

 

It was Rey who finally broke the silence. She had devoured her bowl, starved from the long afternoon in the sun. 

 

“I took Ben to New Republic today,” she announced.

 

“Oh.” Leia’s face immediately warmed. “How is Poe?” she asked Rey before turning to Ben. “You remember Kes and Shara’s son?” 

 

“Yes, mom,” Ben replied, a bit sharply. “We graduated together.” 

 

“Right, of course,” Leia responded quickly, as if she had actually paid attention to his ceremony instead of leveraging it as a photo op for her campaign. 

 

“I hope he gave you a discount,” Han muttered. 

 

“He did,” Rey asserted. 

 

“Because of Bebe?” Han questioned.

 

“Yep,” Rey beamed proudly. 

 

“Girl knows her way around an engine,” Han commented to Ben, gesturing to Rey with his fork. 

 

“Girl has a name,” Ben murmured. 

 

Rey shot him another one of her gracious grins across the table and he felt heat erupt across his face. He instantly turned his attention back to his dinner, embarrassed. 

 

After that, the conversation went on to basic things like the weather, town gossip and the weekend events going on around the island. 

 

Ben tuned it all out. He wasn’t interested in what Mrs. Mon Motha was planting in her garden, if the rain was supposed to start Friday night versus Saturday morning or the fireworks show planned for the dockside BBQ. 

 

He wanted to go back to D’Qar Point, where the only thing he had to worry about was catching another wave...

 

...and his surfer girl. 

 

* * *

 

Rey offered to clean up, so Ben helped her load the dishwasher. He’d rather do chores than be forced to continue his earlier conversation with his parents.

 

While they worked in the kitchen, Han and Leia went into the study. Ben heard the familiar sounds of Han opening his whiskey and Leia’s papers being shuffled about.

 

_Typical._

 

“Wanna go out on the porch?” Rey asked, as he placed the last dish in the bottom rack.

 

_Not typical._

 

She’d already spent the entire day with him. Did she feel the need to keep him entertained?

 

“I’m sure you have better things to do,” he excused her.

 

Rey’s brow furrowed. “Like what?”

 

Ben tried to come up with an activity. He’d never had many friends when he lived on the island. Poe Dameron, while being a jock and popular, had always been kind to him, though Ben attributed that to the fact their parents were friends. Still, Poe had invited him out a few times. Not that Ben had ever gone.

 

“Is Mos Eisely Cantina still open?”

 

She quirked an eyebrow at his suggestion. “Yeah,” she said slowly, obviously confused. “Why?”

 

Ben shrugged. “Just seems like the place you’d spend your time.”

 

A bubble of laughter burst forth from her lips. Her dimples were on full display, as she grinned. “I’m not a beach bunny, Ben.”

 

“Beach bunny?” He wasn’t familiar with the term but he assumed based on her pinched expression that it wasn’t anything good.

 

“Yeah, you know, bleach blonde with legs for days and copious amounts of sun tan oil?” Rey clarified. “They are the types to hang out at Mos. At least during the in-season. Off-season, it’s locals only.”

 

Ben had to bit the inside of his cheek. Rey continued to surprise him. For as much as she loved surfing and the island, she certainly had strong opinions about the tourism aspect of where they lived. She wasn’t afraid to speak her mind.

 

She crossed her arms over her chest and eyed him. “If I’m annoying you, you can just tell me.”

 

And of course his silence had given her the wrong impression.

 

“You aren’t annoying me,” he admitted. “I just don’t want you to feel like you have to babysit me with...” Ben trailed off and gestured silently to the other room where his parents were.

 

The pinched expression fell away, as Rey smiled. “I’m not babysitting you. We’re friends. Friends hang out.”

 

“I’ve never really had any friends,” he admitted sheepishly.

 

_Great, Ben, tell the pretty girl what a loser you are._

 

The inner voice started out sounding like his own, but then it began to sound suspiciously like Snoke’s condescending tone. He hated how, even over three thousand miles away, the man still had a hold over him.

 

“Well you do now,” Rey insisted.

 

The way she looked at him made him forget why he felt the need to question her. Rey’s motives weren’t driven by personal gain. She wasn’t motivated by political success or keeping up appearances. Rey was just Rey.

 

And Ben decided calling her _his_ friend was exactly what he needed.

 

“I guess I could use a reference for when I start applying for jobs,” he agreed.

 

Rey swatted him playfully. “Oh, I see how it is, Solo. Just using me to get you into all the good places, huh?”

 

“You did offer,”he said with a shrug.

 

Rey’s eyes searched his face, unsure if he was serious until he allowed himself to smirk.

 

“You’re lucky you’re cute,” she remarked casually.

 

Ben felt as though she’d hit him with a stun gun. She thought he was cute? He’d never been called cute before. Was a girl supposed to find a man his age cute? Was it okay to like that she called him that? Or was that just pathetic?

 

By the time his body caught up with his brain, Ben realized Rey was gone. He shook himself out of his stupor and went out to the porch to find her.

 

She was perched on the porch swing, knees drawn up with her chin resting on top of them. 

 

“That looks so uncomfortable,” he commented, coming around to sit beside her. 

 

Rey ignored Ben, staring at the neighborhood. “I’m going to go back to work tomorrow. As much as I liked playing hookey, I have books and lab supplies to pay for,” she informed him. 

 

“Han and Leia would pay for that, if you let them,” he advised her. 

 

Ben knew Rey was aware of the fact. He also knew she wouldn’t take their money. She had more integrity in her little finger than anyone else he’d ever met. 

 

“I agreed to work the summer and that’s what I’m going to do,” she stated evenly. 

 

He bit the inside of his cheek to keep from grinning. It was exactly the type of no-nonsense response he’d expected. 

 

“What are you going to do tomorrow?” she asked. 

 

Honestly, he didn’t know. Finding a job was imperative, especially since he had just dropped over a grand on a surfboard. His final paycheck was scheduled to clear on Friday and then after that, he was on his own. 

 

Also, he needed to get in contact with a realtor about selling his place back in California. There was no reason to keep up payments on it when he was no longer living there. Which led him to the next order of business.

 

He needed to find a place to live. It had taken less than forty-eight hours for Ben to remember why he had left home in the first place. The sooner he could move into a condo or townhouse, the better. 

 

As he contemplated the growing list of things he needed to take care of, Rey spoke. 

 

“You could come with me,” she offered. “I could show you what I’m working on with the Cessna 172.”

 

Ben ran a hand through his hair. “I’m not ready to go back there, Rey,” he admitted, thinking of Han’s office. “Besides, planes were never my thing.”

 

“But numbers are,” she pointed out.

 

He glanced over at her. “How do you know that?”

 

She shrugged noncommittally. “Leia told me you used to be part of the Mathletes in high school.”

 

Ben groaned and Rey merely laughed. “Oh, come on. It’s not that bad.” She gently nudged him with her elbow. “Besides, if it makes you feel any better, I was in the Fizzics Club,” she shared.

 

“With Ackbar?”

 

“Yep,” she confirmed with a grin.

 

“Okay, that does make me feel better,” Ben chuckled. “Did he come up with the name?”

 

Rey nodded and laughed again.

 

She was constantly smiling and laughing, even after their strained dinner with his parents, she somehow managed to remain positive. He envied her for that.

 

“I thought math and physics went together like peanut butter and jelly?” he asked.

 

Rey scrunched up her nose. “I don’t really like math.”

 

“What’s not to like? It’s the same no matter what language you speak or what culture you come from. And numbers never lie.”

 

She stared at him, eyes wide. “That’s deep. Were you in poetry club too?”

 

Ben felt heat coloring his face once more. How did she manage to keep doing that?

 

“No,” he replied quickly, ducking his head down. “I just understand math. It’s easy for me.”

 

Rey nodded, her attention returning to the street lamps lining the neighborhood sidewalks. “That’s what machines are like for me.”

 

They fell into companionable silence, swinging back and forth languidly, as they both savored the quiet moment.

 

“I’ll still see you in the afternoon, right?” Rey was biting her lower lip. Ben thought it was a nervous habit, but what did she have to be nervous about?

 

“To surf?”

 

Her features pinched, as she made a face at him. “No, to go spelunking.” She stuck out her tongue after her sarcastic quip. “Of course to surf!”

 

Ben chuckled. “I’ll be there,” he promised.

 

“Good.” She smiled.

 

“Good,” he echoed back.

 

They remained there, side by side, basking in the evening air with the promise of tomorrow hanging between them.

 

* * *

 

The island was limited in terms of options. Ben understood his choices wouldn’t be as varied as in California, but what was available was dismal. He’d already gone through all potential open positions by noon, each one less likely than the former.

 

Alliance was looking for an arbitrator, but Ezra Bridger knew Leia from college. The moment the man brought up the senator, Ben had cut the interview short. He thanked Ezra for his time and promptly walked out.

 

Sabine Wren owned the sole Financial Advising office on the island, accurately named the Phoenix Group. She had gotten her start with a loan from Leia’s adoptive father, Bail Organa. As soon as Sabine shared those details, thanking Ben for his family’s influence on her livelihood, he’d ended that interview as well. 

 

Ben’s final visit of the day was to Garazeb Orrelios. The graying man needed a Compliance Officer for his security consulting business. Everything appeared to be going well, until Zeb (he preferred to be called Zeb) asked Ben how Leia was and if Han was still driving her mad. 

 

It had been the final straw.

 

Groaning, Ben dropped into the driver’s seat of his Lexus. Already the black car was boiling, the leather burning through his suit pants. He left his door open, hoping it would help clear out the humidity as his A/C kicked in.

 

He leaned back against the headrest, pinching the bridge of his nose as he tried to come up with another option. Since most of the island’s income came from tourists, the majority of businesses were restaurants, hotels and outdoor activities. Most of the employees seasonal. There was no need for a full-time lawyer. 

 

The year-round business were necessities, like the hardware store, supermarket, and pharmacy, but once again, the bulk of their business was done during the summer. They couldn’t maintain their books with a paid lawyer.

 

He sighed. 

 

In his breast pocket, his phone pulsed three times, indicating a new text message. Ben withdrew the device. His brow creased when he took in the unfamiliar number. 

 

 **215-410-1992:** How’s the job hunt going? 

 

It included a smiley face emoji. The handful of people who had his personal number were not the type to check-in on him and they certainly did not use emoticons. 

 

 **Ben Solo:** Not well

 

He saved Rey’s information to his contacts folder, grateful he shared his number with her. Hearing from her reminded him about their plans to meet up later. The thought of going surfing made him feel a little less hopeless. 

 

 **Rey Niima:** Did you check the hospital? 

 

Ben stared at his screen in disbelief. He hadn’t. He never considered the hospital as an option.

 

Polis Massan Medical was where his mother and uncle had been born. It was the only hospital on the island, operating as a non-profit after a generous donation from his grandmother’s family, despite the complications of childbirth which cost Padme Amidala her life. The Naberrie Wing, a state-of-the-art maternity ward had been donated the year after her death in her memory. 

 

Ben had never set foot in the hospital, not once in all his years living on the island. 

 

 **Rey Niima:** Ask for Paige Tico. She’s an ER nurse and Rose’s sister. She’ll know if they have any openings. Good luck! 

 

His A/C finally seemed to be returning the interior of his vehicle to a suitable temperature. Ben slammed his door shut, reviewing the details of Rey’s texts again. 

 

His aversion to the hospital had less to do with the tragedy surrounding his grandmother’s death and more to do with the fact he hated the smell of disinfectant. It burned his nostrils and made his stomach churn. He’d never liked the sterile setting and avoided going at all costs, the only exceptions being his annual exam and the time he’d punched Hux. He’d needed an X-ray and instead of painkillers for his bruised knuckles, he needed medication for the disappointed scowl Han had worn.

 

So no, the hospital hadn’t been an option.

 

But Ben was out of options. 

 

Either the hospital had something worth pursuing, or Ben would have to revisit the possibility of working for one of his parents’ acquaintances. 

 

The hospital seemed the lesser of the two evils, so he put the Lexus in drive and followed Rey’s advice. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Someone's catching the feels... Rey's next!


	7. Surfin’ USA

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _We'll all be gone for the summer. We’re on surfari to stay._   
>  _Tell the teacher we're surfin’. Surfin’ U.S.A._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Who's up for some more surfing? If you're unsure what the surfer slang is, feel free to reach out.
> 
> Thank you to [LoveofEscapism](https://archiveofourown.org/users/LoveofEscapism/pseuds/LoveofEscapism/works) for beta-ing!
> 
> For those who follow, [LucasLand](https://archiveofourown.org/works/17734349/chapters/41840600), the final chapter will be posting tomorrow with a special treat. So stay tuned!

****

 

Rey cranked her wrench around a stubborn bolt, her brow creased with concentration as she applied more pressure. She didn’t want to strip it, but the fastening wouldn’t budge.

 

“Tough one, huh?” Han asked, as he leaned in to inspect what had her so worked up.

 

“Yeah,” she agreed, though she wasn’t referring to the bolt.

 

Han had given her a wide berth since she arrived at Alderaan Airways. Rey hadn’t mentioned their fight or the awkward dinner which followed. She was still trying to reconcile the proud parents she had known growing up with the absent figures Ben had described to her.

 

She’d tossed and turned last night, bothered by their separate experiences. Her first impulse was to call Leia and Han out on it, but more yelling wasn’t going to help the situation. While Ben had been aggressive with them, his temper had tampered once she’d got him out of the house. Rey didn’t want to be the reason for riling him up again. 

 

Ben had a lot on his mind. Between moving back to the East Coast, finding a job and a new place to live, he didn’t have time to lament about the past. It served no purpose to grieve over the woulda, coulda, shoulda’s.

 

So Rey decided not to, even if the unexplained reason why festered and churned within her.

 

“Maybe a little grease would help pry it loose?” Han suggested, referring to the bolt.

 

Rey’s attention snapped back to the task at hand. “Maybe.” She nodded.

 

Han sighed, backing away from her. “Kid, do you want to talk about it?”

 

“No,” she said pointedly, still not looking at him.

 

Han went on anyway. “Leia and I were young when we had Ben. It’s not an excuse. It’s just the truth,” he explained.

 

Rey winced. She had specifically mentioned she did _not_ want to discuss this. Not now. Not behind Ben’s back.

 

“He was a complicated child, more intelligent than me, more trouble than Leia...” Han trailed off.

 

She kept her back to him, therefore missing the way he ran his hand through his hair. It was the same nervous gesture his son often did.

 

“My dad was never around. I didn’t know what to do for him. I was scared I was going to make the wrong choice, say the wrong thing. So I did nothing. Then Leia’s career took off and neither of us could be what he needed. We tried getting him tutors and specialized help. We wanted the best for him.”

 

Han’s tone was pained. Rey didn’t doubt his regret. His hurt was genuine, but it didn’t erase the fact he hadn’t been there for his only child. It didn’t excuse his and his wife’s behavior. They didn’t sound like the people she now loved.

 

“I should have recognized he was like me,” Han admitted, as if he’d read her mind. “I made the wrong choices when I was his age, fell into a bad crowd. I should have seen the signs. I know that now.”

 

He cleared his throat and Rey glanced over her shoulder. He was no longer the spry charmer she’d grown used to seeing. Suddenly, he appeared as though he’d aged a decade. His remorse was in full bloom across his weathered features.

 

“No one was ever there for me, not until Lando. Leia and Luke came along later. They were the only reason I didn’t end up in prison or die in a fiery wreck.” Han let out a hoarse laugh. “I guess I thought the same would happen for Ben, that he’d find his people and they’d be able to help him. I didn’t think I could help him. Leia didn’t either. By the time she saw his anger, all she could see was her father — her real father — and she couldn’t deal with that.”

 

Rey felt her breath catch. She’d heard stories about Anakin Skywalker. Leia didn’t often speak about her biological father, but his ghost hung heavily over her like a dark shroud.

 

His name came up in school, along with the bombing he had orchestrated. The event had resulted in the deaths of nearly everyone inside the capitol building, including children. It was horrific. The tragedy was headline news for months. It ended with Anakin being labeled as a terrorist. His actions would have ruined his wife’s political career, if she hadn’t died in childbirth roughly a month later.

 

Leia and Luke had been separated for their own protection, after the hospital received death threats. Their mother’s career was called into question, reporters delving into her personal life to discern if she had been part of her husband’s plans. Her political aspiration, once held in high regard, was tainted by Anakin’s crimes. Several of her campaigns ended in failure due to her marriage, ending her term on a bleak note.

 

The Skywalker line was wrought with atrocities.

 

Regardless, it wasn’t fair to lump Ben in with his grandfather. They’d never even met. Ben had never crossed the line like Anakin, even if he had acted out. Punching a bully wasn’t the same as setting off a timed explosive in a government building.

 

“You still left him,” Rey accused, turning around to fully face Han.

 

This was why she hadn’t wanted to discuss the situation. It hit too close to her own insecurities, her own wounds. Han and Leia hadn’t abandoned Ben on the island, but they might as well have. They’d closed themselves off from him, leaving him to own devices. He may have lived in a far nicer home than Rey, but the luxury atmosphere didn’t change the fact that they’d both been alone.

 

“We made sure he had the best care, put him in the top schools, got him the newest tech, all of it.”

 

Rey crossed her arms over her chest, unimpressed. “You’re missing the point. You didn’t give him what he needed. He needed his parents. He needed you!”

 

Han dropped his gaze to the floor. He let out a long breath. “I know I screwed up, kid. I know that. There isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t regret how I handled things.”

 

“Then tell him that!” She insisted. “Tell Ben you’re sorry.”

 

“I’ve tried!” Han cried, his eyes full of desperation while he stared at her. “I tried to stop him from taking that job. I even drove all the way out to California to talk some sense into him, but he wouldn’t see me.”

 

She didn’t know how to respond to that. Ben hadn’t mentioned his father coming after him. Neither Leia or Han had ever spoken about going out to California, though Rey suspected it may have occurred before she came to live with them. She wasn’t sure if that made their choice to adopt her better or worse. It made Rey think Ben had been right when he called her a replacement.

 

“Snoke came after Leia once before, nearly ruined her career,” Han revealed. “Ben didn’t know about it. We never told him.”

 

“Why not?” Rey asked.

 

“Because that bastard threatened him,” Han spat, his face hard. “Ben was only a baby at the time,” he explained. “Leia went up against Snoke on a big case. After she won, he pulled her aside and told her to count her blessings before they were taken away from her, just like she was removed from her parents.”

 

“Did you report him?” Rey questioned.

 

“It was all hearsay,” Han replied. “But we had the locks changed and a new security system installed.”

 

“Did anything happen?”

 

“No,” Han confirmed. “I think he said it to force Leia to step back, but she didn’t. She went after him with a class action lawsuit regarding his firm’s treatment of their employees. The case fell through due to the disappearance of the key witness.”

 

Rey raised a brow. “Wasn’t that suspicious?”

 

“Course it was!” Han scoffed. “Snoke got to him. I knew it. Leia knew it, but without a witness to testify or a body to prove foul play, the case was dropped.”

 

“I can see why Snoke would want to come after her,” Rey acknowledged. “But it doesn’t excuse the fact that you should have told Ben.”

 

“I know,” Han sighed again. “If there was a way to go back and change things, I would.” He scratched the back of his neck, before adding, “I am proud of him. He’s successful and that has nothing to do with me or Leia. That’s all Ben.”

 

Rey remembered how Ben reacted when she told him his parents were proud of him. He hadn’t known, and thinking back to that moment, she understood his confusion.

 

“Why don’t you have any pictures of him in your office?” she queried.

 

Han blinked, as if he wasn’t even aware of the fact he didn’t have a single picture of his only son.

 

Rey dropped her arms from her chest. “You can’t expect him to speak to you, if you haven’t changed your behavior.”

 

“I didn’t think...Ben never liked getting his picture taken,” Han mentioned.

 

“You have one of me up,” Rey reminded Han. “But none of Ben. That doesn’t send the right message.”

 

He didn’t speak for several moments, mulling over what she had said. Conversations around deeper subjects like this were not Han’s forte. Rey understood he was out of his element, yet she implored him to do what needed to be done in order to mend what was broken.

 

“You can’t give up on him,” Rey stated. “You have to be there, no matter how uncomfortable it is. You’re his father.”

 

“I know.”

 

They left it at that.

 

Rey resumed working on the Cessna 172, while Han retreated back to his office with a lot to think about.

 

* * *

 

By the time she was done with her shift at the hangar, Rey was more than ready to slip into the cool water at the Point. She helped Han lock up, before climbing into her Jeep.

 

“Dinner’s at eight,” he called to her from his truck.

 

“I’ll be there.”

 

“Tell Ben when you see him,” Han added with a wave.

 

Rey flushed, as she put her sunglasses on. Han might have been ignorant of how his actions affected his son, but he wasn’t blind to the fact Rey had taken a liking to Ben.

 

She watched him pull out of the hangar’s drive, before turning in the opposite direction and heading up Beach Road towards D’Qar Point.

 

Since she wanted to make up for yesterday, Rey had risen early and missed Ben at breakfast. The only time they’d spoken all day was when she texted him to check-in. She hadn’t heard anything since. Part of her worried that he wouldn’t show today.

 

Her stomach churned unpleasantly at the thought while she pulled her Jeep through the sand to park alongside Finn. There was no sign of Ben, though she doubted he’d bring his Lexus through the same access. His car was definitely not made for off-roading.

 

A quick scan of the beach confirmed he wasn’t out on the waves with her friends. Her mood soured a little. She’d been looking forward to spending more time with him.

 

Finn and Rose noticed her, waving from where they were on their boards out in the surf. She honked the Jeep twice. They motioned for her to join them.

 

With a sigh, Rey unloaded her board and began spreading sunscreen on her body. Even this late in the afternoon, the rays were strong enough to burn.

 

She was just finishing up on her legs when a black figure emerged from between the dunes. Rey’s head snapped up and she caught a glimpse of Ben in his rash guard and board shorts.

 

“You made it!”

 

“I would have been here sooner, but Paige is a talker,” he grumbled.

 

Beaming, Rey tossed him the sunscreen bottle. “It runs in the family,” she warned him. Ben rolled his eyes. “I guess it went well since you got held up?”

 

“It did,” he confirmed, right before he removed his rash guard.

 

Rey forgot all about his job search when his abdominal muscles came on full display. Her heart fluttered in her chest. She swallowed thickly, casting her eyes downward the second she realized she was staring.

 

“They’re looking for a HIPAA Compliance Officer,” Ben informed her. “I haven’t studied health care law since college, but there are online courses I can take to refresh my memory. I spoke with Dr. Harter Kalonia. She used to be the Chief of Surgery, but now she’s the CEO.”

 

She nodded, focusing on waxing her board so she wouldn’t be tempted to look at him again. Rey knew Ben was attractive. His towering height, paired with the dark waves of his hair, checked off some rather important boxes on her perfect boyfriend checklist. Add in his shy blushing, the eight-pack he was sporting and it was like winning the fantasy lottery.

 

Despite their disastrous first meeting, she had immediately found him handsome. Seeing him lathered up in greasy sunscreen, like some sort of suggestive summer ad, only reminded her of that fact.

 

“Dr. Kalonia thinks I’m more than qualified, as soon as I brush up on the new state codes,” Ben continued. “As long as I pass their background check and drug test, I can start in as early as two weeks.”

 

Rey nodded again, carefully coating her board. She was singularly focused on it, as though her life depended on it...well not her life, but certainly her sanity.

 

Which was rapidly unraveling, the longer he went without his shirt on.

 

“The pay is good, not what I was making in California, but it is enough to get my own place. I was thinking of checking out a couple tomorrow. I heard it’s supposed to rain. Do you want to come with me? I could use a second opinion?”

 

She hadn’t heard his question, lost in her thoughts, each one more inappropriate than the last.

 

Ben running through the surf, glistening with salty sea spray.

 

Ben carrying her surfboard _and_ her back to to the Jeep.

 

Ben removing his board shorts and—

 

A hand came to rest on her shoulder. “Rey?”

 

“What?” She jumped, as she glanced up into Ben’s eyes.

 

“Are you okay?”

 

Unbidden, her eyes traveled the length of his torso, down to the hem of his board shorts. Her cheeks flushed darker and she instantly turned away.

 

“Fine,” she stammered.

 

“If you aren’t feeling well, we can head back to the house,” he offered. “You look like you got burned yesterday. Do you want more sunscreen? I could put more on your back, if you want.”

 

Rey jolted when Ben began to step behind her, his hands already reaching for her. “No, I’m good.”

 

She wasn’t.

 

When he’d picked her up to throw her into the water yesterday, she’d felt the way his hands cupped her. It had only been for a second, but Rey couldn’t forget how perfectly she’d fit against him. If he put his hands on her again, there was no way she’d be able to keep her cool.

 

“Let’s get out on the water,” Rey suggested, tucking her board under her arm.

 

Ben’s face morphed into a perplexed expression. She ignored the lingering question in his eyes, as she headed down the beach.

 

Finn was just coming in from his last run, while Rose was out waiting for her wave in the impact zone. She gave Rey a thumbs up, which Rey returned.

 

“Nice baggies, man,” Finn said to Ben, gesturing to his board shorts.

 

“Uh, thanks,” Ben muttered.

 

“No sweat, Benny.”

 

“He’s not a Benny, Finn,” Rey sighed.

 

“He’s from the West Coast. You can’t be considered a local if you aren’t from the island, Peanut.”

 

“What?” Ben asked, confusion clouding his features.

 

“A Benny is someone who isn’t local,” Rey explained. She punched her friend in the arm. “Finn thinks he’s funny.”

 

“I’m hilarious,” he insisted, wincing when he rubbed the area Rey had punched. “You missed all the fun. Rose did a sweet kick flip earlier.”

 

“Nice.” Rey grinned, feeling some of her nervous energy ebb, as the conversation turned to more comfortable topics.

 

“Are you going to show Ben your signature move?” Finn questioned.

 

“Signature move?” Ben quirked a brow.

 

“It’s nothing,” Rey assured him.

 

Finn snorted. “It’s not nothing. It’s _choka_!”

 

“What?” Ben was looking more intrigued by the minute, though no less confused.

 

“It’s awesome,”’Finn clarified.

 

“Yeah, but what _is_ it?” Ben glanced between the two surfers.

 

“ _It_ is called a layback and it’s damn near impossible, unless your name is Rey Niima,” Finn boasted.

 

“Layback?”

 

“Show him, Peanut!” Finn urged her, giving her a shove.

 

Rey felt the nerves return, as she caught Ben’s gaze on her. She was glad the water was still cool this early in the summer. She needed a wake-up call.

 

Rose rode a beautiful wave in, laughing as she cut across the top. While she came ashore, Rey waded in.

 

The water was choppier than yesterday. Rey could feel the undercurrent pulling as she stepped into the shoals. The tide was shifting, guiding shells and stones backwards into the depths. She went with it, duck diving under a wave to emerge on the other side, where all she could see was the ocean and the sky meeting along the horizon. 

 

Rey sat up on her board, legs dangling on either side. She kicked her right out, turning herself around so she could see the beach. 

 

Finn was coming back in, leaving Rose to chat with Ben. Rey giggled to herself. If Ben thought Paige was chatty, he was in for a surprise. The youngest of the two Tico sisters could go on for days. 

 

Smiling to herself, she watched him. His body wasn’t taut with tension the way it had been yesterday. He seemed to be more comfortable with her friend, though she had a hard time believing anyone could dislike Rose. The girl had a bubbly personality you couldn’t help but love. Rey hoped Ben would warm up to Finn as well.

 

Her best friend was protective. She appreciated Finn’s big brother attitude. It was comforting to know her friend had her back. But the way Ben had come to her aid felt different to Rey. When Ben had yelled at Finn, assuming her best friend was heckling her, it was not brotherly affection. 

 

It was _something_ else.

 

And it was that something else which had Rey distracted, along with the sight of Ben’s bare chest. 

 

She felt the tell-tale rise of the water. Quickly, Rey pushed her conflicting emotions away and got into position. She needed to stop daydreaming. She needed to take back control.

 

It had been a while since she’d done a layback. The maneuver required balance, strength and precision. Surfing, in general, required the perfect marriage of those three elements, but for this particular move, it was imperative. 

 

Rey caught the wave, riding across the curl. As her body rose with the swell, she tilted backwards, nearly folding herself in half while keeping her feet firmly planted on her board. 

 

The wave propelled her forward, pressing into her and her board as the crest of the wave crashed over top of her. She went with the water at her back, pushing herself back up into a standing position. 

 

“Rey!”

 

As she came out on the other side of the wave, she heard Ben calling for her. He charged into the shoals, obviously thinking she’d wiped out. 

 

Rey couldn’t help it. She laughed. 

 

“What...what was that?” Ben asked breathlessly. 

 

“ _That_ was a layback,” Rey informed him proudly. 

 

His eyes widened, his chest heaving as he tried to catch his breath. “That was...amazing.”

 

Nervously, she tucked the wet strands of hair behind her ear. “Thanks.”

 

He stepped closer, eyes boring into her. “You’re amazing,” he added softly. 

 

Rey felt all the adrenaline of her ride leave her body. In its place something warm settled within her, burning slow and steady under his intense gaze. 

 

Tentatively, Ben reached for her. He encased her hand in his and led her out of the water. 

 

Rey couldn’t be sure if it was the sound of the surf hitting the beach or the thundering of her heart, but suddenly she couldn’t hear anything but the constant thrum in her ears.

 

And all she could see was Ben. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Layback](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DOqcU4b_2VM) (DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME, KIDS!!!)
> 
> [No Shirt, No Shoes Playlist](https://open.spotify.com/user/12179392034/playlist/7hx7ywi5m1t3GDWinrdrlw?si=HYKy32ARQgeKyHtBdKHwrg)
> 
> [No Shirt, No Shoes Masterpost](https://wewantreylo.tumblr.com/post/183238842637/wewantreylo-no-shirt-no-shoes-big-problem)


	8. I Know There’s An Answer

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _Now how can I come on and tell them the way that they live could be better_   
>  _I know there's an answer. I know now but I have to find it by myselfr_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, thank you to my wonderful beta, [LoveofEscapism](https://archiveofourown.org/users/LoveofEscapism/pseuds/LoveofEscapism/works)!
> 
> Special thank you to [SpiegatrixLestrange](https://spiegatrixlestrange.tumblr.com/) for the glorious fanart at the the end of this chapter!!!!! Her SW fanart is now available on Redbubble, so make sure to check it out.

Ben wasn’t sure what he was doing. 

That much was clear.

As he stood in the shower the next morning, staring at a problem he hadn’t had since he last lived under his parent’s roof, he decided he was fucked. 

_Irrevocably._

Ever since he’d seen Rey emerge from the waves yesterday afternoon, all he could think about was her sun-kissed skin, sprinkled with ocean spray and just _begging_ for his touch. 

He groaned, slamming his fist against the shower wall. It was that single sight which had played on repeat in his mind all day, until well in the evening when he finally retired to bed. 

Then it changed.

Not only was Rey no longer surfing, she was no longer wearing her rash guard or her little shorts. She was in that damn string bikini, which defied the laws of physics, due to its ability to remain on her while she played in the surf. 

Of course, in his dreams, the bikini didn’t actually remain on her. And that — _that_ — was a sight worth taking in. He tried to memorize it, but each time he woke, the finer details faded from his mind. While he was sure his dream version paled in comparison to the real thing, it hadn’t stopped him from waking up to a raging hard on. 

He’d snuck into the bathroom, embarrassed by his reaction and terrified of her finding out. It was early, far earlier than he normally woke up, which meant his parents and Rey were still in the house. 

Standing under the hot shower spray, Ben willed his erection away. Puberty hadn’t been kind for someone of his stature. He was too tall, too broad, with features that were unconventional. His nose was too prominent, his ears a bit too large. He hadn’t been on anyone’s party list and he certainly hadn’t been hiding any girls in his room like his peers. 

But, he had hid his morning wood. 

And it appeared that at the age of thirty, he was revisiting his past humiliation, only this time it was in the same space as someone he actually cared for… the same person that was causing this situation. 

Ben groaned, his forehead pressing against the cool marble of the shower wall. 

One of the reasons he’d excelled at his career so brilliantly was because he was singularly focused on learning. Unlike his peers, who chased their latest conquests with more fervor than their next case, Ben remain devoted solely to the business. Temptation was not something he had experienced.

Until now.

Knowing Rey was mere yards away, was both thrilling and terrifying. His baser instincts warred against his rational mind. The primal side wanted to seek her out, determine if what he felt was a one-sided attraction. His self-preservation, however, wanted to remain holed up in the bathroom until his current problem had been dealt with and then forget the entire thing ever happened. 

Chances were, Rey didn’t feel the same. As disappointed as that made him, it was nothing compared to how wretched he’d feel if he lost her completely. Ruining the only good thing in his life by trying to make it something more than it was. It wasn’t a risk Ben was willing to take. Having Rey as his friend was better than not having her at all. 

If only he could convince his body of that fact.

There seemed to be only one possible solution. He took himself in hand, simultaneously aroused and disgusted. He felt guilty using Rey this way. It was perverted and wrong and—

—his dick didn’t seem to care. 

Ben tried in vain to think of something — _anything_ — other than his surfer girl, but when he closed his eyes all he could see was her bronze skin shimmering and her kind, doe eyes staring up at him. 

Unconsciously, he began to work himself, picturing the delicate lines of her body and the soft, supple curves of her breasts. She’d looked like a siren, walking out of the water, doused in sea spray and bathed in sunlight. 

He imagined what she’d look like riding him instead of the waves, perched in his lap or draped over him in his bed. A shiver raced down his spine at that particular thought. Ben could hear her sharp little intakes of breath and feel the light pressure of her weight settling over him. 

_Ben._

His muscles clenched and his climax hit him like a lightning strike, rendering him immobile for a split second as his spend coated the front of the shower. 

He let out a hiss, running a hand over his head, as the water continued to roll down his back. 

A knock startled him. “Ben?”

_Shit._

“Uh...morning,” he called out to Rey.

His face turned an intense shade of crimson, as he desperately tried to wash away evidence of his depraved activities. 

“Are you almost done? I wanted to brush my teeth.”

“Yeah, yes, of course!” He hurriedly replied, hoping his voice didn’t sound nearly as high-pitched as he thought it did.

“‘K,” came her sleepy reply. 

Ben raced through the remainder of his shower, no longer sporting a third leg, but increasingly ashamed. 

By the time he threw open the bathroom door, he was seconds away from murmuring a slew of apologies to Rey, convinced she knew exactly what he’d been up to. 

The apologies died on his tongue.

Rey was leaning on her door frame, eyes closed, half-asleep. She was barefoot, standing there in nothing more than a small pair of cotton shorts and a matching camisole. It would have been adorable, if he wasn’t so pent up, especially since he could tell she wasn’t wearing a bra. 

Gently, he reached over and placed a hand on her bare shoulder. “Hey.”

She hummed, eyes still closed. “What?”

“Bathroom’s free,” he told her. 

“Right.” Rey nodded. 

Bleary-eyed, she stepped past him into the bathroom and began to brush her teeth. 

Ben felt relief course through him. Apparently, she wasn’t a morning person, or at least she wasn’t today. For once, the universe was working in his favor. 

Grateful, he darted into the safety of his room. He thought he’d dodged a bullet, until he remembered Rey was joining him on his apartment hunting venture. Glancing down at his lower half, he gulped.

He had a bad feeling about this.

 

* * *

 

Ben spent his day making calls to California to coordinate the move of his belongings. If he thought terminating his lease early had been a headache, trying to schedule movers and a truck to transport his belongings cross country was migraine-inducing.  

The time difference was the least of his problems. Leaving the apartment remotely meant dealing with the landlord over the phone. With someone professional, it would have been fine, but knowing that Ben wouldn’t be the nice, quiet, paying tenant he used to have, Mr. Canady was dragging his feet. 

It wasn’t until he reminded the landlord that he was a lawyer and could file an injunction against him, that the man put through the appropriate paperwork. 

Finding a moving company was just as painful. 

First, the representative wanted Ben to list, in detail, each item being moved and whether or not it required additional insurance. When Ben questioned why he’d pay them to safely move his belongings if he needed to pay for additional coverage to ensure those same belongings arrived in one piece, the representative became flustered. 

When he’d begun yelling at the twenty-something-year-old, Ben had been transferred to a manager, who calmly explained to him the difference between their typical coverage and the extended insurance option. 

In the end, Ben wound up paying extra so he didn’t lose any sleep over his possessions arriving on time and intact to the island. He left instructions on his order that the address would be supplied before the shipment was to commence.

His final paycheck had come through early, probably only because HR was in a rush to get him off their books. It was a reminder of the bridges he’d burned and the fact he was on a limited budget until he was cleared to work at the hospital. 

Which reminded him of the HIPAA compliance training he needed to get signed up for, as well as the drug test and background check he needed to complete. 

The only good thing he had going for him was the fact the house was empty, except for the dogs. 

Without Leia hanging over his shoulder, telling him she knew someone who could handle the arrangements for him or Rey to distract him with visions of her in her bikini, Ben was actually making progress. 

His father was an entirely different story. If Ben thought things between him and Rey were getting awkward, it was nothing compared to last night’s reception from Han. 

When Ben had arrived back at the house from D’Qar Point, his father had hugged him, actually put his arms around Ben and embraced his son. Ben couldn’t recall the last time that had happened. At first, it was a bit awkward, but when Han didn’t immediately let go of him, Ben found himself patting his father’s back. He considered asking him if he was ok, but then decided not to get over eager about this development.

He wished Rey would have witnessed it, but as soon as they got to the house, she went upstairs to shower. She’d missed the second part of the Organa-Solo Twilight Zone episode and he’d forgotten to tell her about it.

Ben decided he’d ask her about the strange occurrence when they went to check out apartments together. 

As with employment options, there was a shortage of acceptable places to live on the island. Ben had done his research online all afternoon, attempting to identify suitable alternatives to living in his childhood home. What he found was one townhouse, two apartments and a rental property which the owner was looking to eventually sell. 

That was it. On the entire island, he’d only managed to come up with four choices for a permanent residence. It was pitiful. 

He leaned back in his desk chair, letting out a sigh as he stared up at the ceiling. Pitiful seemed to be the new state of things. 

Pitiful was what you called a thirty-year-old bachelor who had to move back in with his parents. Pitiful was what you called a man incapable of speaking to a gorgeous, free-spirited woman about how he felt. Pitiful was the label for the type of man who jerked off in the shower of his childhood home. 

Ben winced and pinched the bridge of his nose. He was a far cry away from the successful, powerful man he’d been in California. Returning home had somehow transported him back in time to when he’d been a shy, cowardly boy. It wasn’t pitiful. It was pathetic. 

If only Snoke could see him now...

“Hey, Ben! You home?” 

Rey’s voice rang loud and clear through the house, startling him. Ben jolted up, the sudden shift in his weight, causing the chair to topple backwards. Both he and the seat went crashing onto the floor. 

“Ben!”

He heard her race up the steps, feet pounding as she made her way to him. Without knocking, she flung open the door to find him sprawled out on the floor.

Her head tilted quizzically. “Are you okay?”

“Fine,” he grumbled, while brushing himself off. He stood up, righting the chair as he did so.

Rey’s lips were twisted upwards in a mischievous grin. “Did I scare you old man?”

He ignored her teasing, unable to look her in the eyes after this morning’s incident.

“Maybe you shouldn’t move out,” she suggested. “Maybe you should stay here, where I can keep an eye on you.”

Ben couldn’t help himself. He turned his head and openly stared at her. He thought she was blushing, but it could have been sunburn. She was outside an awful lot. 

“Anyway.” She cleared her throat. “Where do you want to start?”

“Huh?” It took Ben a moment for his brain to catch up with her question. 

“With the apartment hunting,” Rey explained. “Do you have a first choice or a preference on location?”

“I have all the addresses listed out. I think we can just make a big circle,” he replied. 

“Alright.” Rey smiled. “I’ll drive, you navigate.”

 

* * *

 

Their first destination was an apartment along Beach Road with an impressive view of the water. 

Ben was immediately pleased to noticed the security gate, as well as the cameras placed around the entrances and parking lot. Rey followed him to the rental office, keeping her hood over her head to block out the downpour. 

When it rained on the island, it blew in hard and fast. He’d been glad when he noticed she’d had the forethought to put up her soft top. He had no intention of viewing the apartment while drenched from head to toe. 

“Ah, Mr. Solo,” a statuesque blonde greeted him at the front desk. 

“Hello.”

“I’m Gwen Phasma, the Property Manager here at Supremacy Heights. Welcome.”

“Thank you,” Ben nodded to her, just as Rey stepped up aside him. 

“And this must be your girlfriend,” Phasma smiled politely. “This is the perfect atmosphere for young couples. We even have a few getting married this year.” She winked at them. 

Ben burned to the tips of his ears. “Oh no, we’re—.”

“Not ready for marriage yet,” Rey said, hooking her arms around his. She glanced up at him, all dimples and sparkling eyes. “Right, honey?”

He lost the ability to verbalize full sentences. 

_Honey._

_Marriage._

“You’re still young,” Phasma commented kindly. “I believe you were interested in unit 2817, correct?” 

Rey tugged on his arm, signaling that the Property Manager expected him to answer. 

“Yes, apartment 2817,” Ben confirmed, his head still spinning.

“Excellent.” Phasma gave them a tight-lipped smile, before leading them from the office to the apartment in question. 

Ben followed, making sure to take care of Rey, who remained glued to his side, acting the part of doting girlfriend. He wasn’t sure which was more surprising, the fact Phasma had bought the lie or the fact Rey had been so quick to vocalize the fallacy. 

He wondered if he should tell her how he felt, debating whether or not it would ruin the comfortable routine they’d fallen into. Considering how much time she was spending with him and some of the comments she’d made, maybe it wasn’t as far-fetched as he’d previously believed. 

“Here we are.” Phasma stopped in front of the apartment. She unlocked the door and gestured for them to enter. 

The place appeared just as it had in the photos. It was open and spacious with modern appliances and accents. 

It had one bedroom, one bathroom and a covered porch overlooking the beach. Ben didn’t need anything fancy since it was only ever him, though now, as Rey wandered past him to peek in the kitchen, he wondered if he should have asked about a different floor plan. Maybe she’d want to stay over some nights? 

He was pondering over asking Phasma about other options, when Rey disappeared behind the stove. 

“Rey?”

“Look!” Her head popped out from a door he hadn’t seen. “You have your own washer and dryer in here.”

Phasma was busy scrolling through her iPad in the entryway, so Ben went to check out the laundry room. 

It was a narrow space, barely big enough to fit both him and Rey with the washer units. 

“This is nice,” she grinned, hopping up on top of the dryer. “You don’t have to go to the Laundromat. That’s the worst.” She rolled her eyes. “I hate carrying all the quarters around when I have to do mine in the dorms.”

Ben’s mind immediately conjured up a picture of Rey in a co-ed dorm, dressed in her little cotton pajamas where any guy could stare at her while she bent over to retrieve her laundry. His fists clenched. He didn’t like the idea of his sweet, unsuspecting surfer girl being ogled. 

“You could hang up your board shorts in here too.” Rey went on, pointing to a rack and some shelves on the opposite wall. “That way you don’t drag sand into your bedroom.”

_I want to drag you into my bedroom._

Ben stilled. Where had that come from? Just because Rey was helping him in his apartment search didn’t mean she wanted him like _that_ . Right?

She sat there, legs swinging back and forth as she scanned the small space with a calculating eye. 

It felt right, having her here, in a place which could very well be his new home. Having Rey here made it feel like home. It was certainly warmer than his former residence and there wasn’t even any furniture in it yet. 

He took a step towards her. “Do you like it?”

“It’s nice,” she responded, continuing to glance around. “I mean, it could use some color. All the black and gray is kind of morbid, but if you’re into that kinda thing.” She shrugged. “I haven’t seen the rest of it yet, though.”

Ben took another step. The apartment could be a metaphor for him. He was dark and  unwelcoming. And Rey hadn’t seen all of him yet. 

She finally looked up at him, their faces close, as he came to stand between her legs. “Wanna check out the bedroom?” 

Rey’s lips parted and he thought he heard her gasp. It sent a rush through him. He wanted to hear her make that sound again. 

His hands found their way to her waist and he felt Rey stiffen. Her pupils expanded, making her doe eyes even more apparent as she gazed up at him. Ben felt her pull him in, like the current of the ocean, dragging him out to sea. He leaned in and—

“Nice, isn’t it?” Phasma appeared, leaning against the doorway. 

Rey jumped out of his hold, pushing him back enough to scramble out of the laundry room, leaving him to answer the Property Manager.

“Yes,” he replied. _It was._  

 

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [No Shirt, No Shoes Playlist](https://open.spotify.com/user/12179392034/playlist/7hx7ywi5m1t3GDWinrdrlw?si=HYKy32ARQgeKyHtBdKHwrg)
> 
>  
> 
> [No Shirt, No Shoes Masterpost](https://wewantreylo.tumblr.com/post/183238842637/wewantreylo-no-shirt-no-shoes-big-problem)


	9. Sail On, Sailor

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _Seldom stumble, never crumble, try to tumble, life's a rumble_   
>  _Feel the stinging I've been given, never ending, unrelenting_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I finished this story during my vacation last week. I'm so excited to share the rest of this tale with you all! I've also started a new modern Reylo AU with an Adam Driver/Jason Momoa Oscars-inspired bromance, called [Something Wild](https://archiveofourown.org/works/18000935/chapters/42526250). 
> 
> Thank you to my talented beta, [LoveofEscapism](https://archiveofourown.org/users/LoveofEscapism/pseuds/LoveofEscapism/works) for all her help! She's been amazing to work with.

The ride to the rental property was silent. Rey kept trying to think of ways to broach the topic with Ben. Each time she opened her mouth, she pictured Phasma’s disapproving stare and she promptly snapped her mouth shut.

From the sidelong glances she kept sneaking, Ben was faring no better. He’d been beet red ever since they’d left Supremacy Heights. Rey couldn’t tell if it was out of embarrassment or shame. She wasn’t sure which one was worse. 

At least the rain had stopped.

As she drove toward their second destination, a townhouse on the bayside of the island, Rey chewed on her bottom lip. She thought Ben was making a move, but maybe she’d imagined it all? God knows, she’d dreamt about it enough. Ever since he’d picked her up on the beach, Rey was consumed by the idea of being held in his strong arms. She fantasized what he could do to her with those arms, with those hands. 

Her cheeks burned until she matched Ben’s crimson hue. 

Thinking about that now wasn’t going to help. She wriggled in her seat, unable to chase away the hot surge coursing through her veins. It tickled her skin, causing her hair to stand on end. Rey gripped the steering wheel a bit tighter. 

She’d never experienced an attraction like this before. Growing up, there had been silly school girl crushes and one-sided pining for boys she’d met. It was fleeting, a youthful infatuation and it never amounted to more than a few doodled hearts on her notebook. 

What she felt towards Ben, well fleeting wasn’t the word she’d used to describe it. Intense sounded like a better term. Addictive. Compelling. Powerful. It was all those things and more. Rey felt as if she could lose herself in the profound mixture of emotions raging within her.

As she pulled into Delphi Kloda, Rey pushed down her feelings. No matter how Ben felt about her, she’d agreed to be there for him. He didn’t trust easily. She didn’t want to jeopardize the friendship they’d built over her own selfish desires. If Ben wanted to be more than friends, he’d tell her. 

_Right?_

Unlike Supremacy Heights, Delphi Kloda was organized like an entire neighborhood hidden back by the bay. Rey immediately disliked the muted colors and manicured lawns. It was too perfect, too clean. She was expecting the Stepford Wives to come out and greet them any minute now. 

Instead of a blonde wearing pearls, a slim woman with jet black hair and sharp eyes approached them. She wore a sleek black and white pantsuit, with dangerously high stilettos. In her hand, she carried a clipboard and a stack of papers. Even though she was about a foot shorter than Phasma, Rey felt threatened by the woman. 

“Mr. Solo?” She extended her hand to Ben, as she completely ignored Rey. Her voice was as pinched as her face. “I’m Bazine Netal. We spoke on the phone.”

“Nice to meet you,” Ben said politely. 

“You’re looking for a single family residence, correct?” she asked. “Bachelor pad?” 

“Uh...s-sort of,” he stuttered, cheeks darkening.

“A nice man like you will fit in perfectly here,” she cooed. Her eyes flickered briefly to Rey, before she smiled coyly at Ben. “I make sure all of my clients are well taken care of.”

Ben nodded, scanning the units instead of catching Bazine’s underlying meaning.

“We don’t get many West Coast transplants here,” she commented, not easily deterred. “What kind of work do you do, Mr. Solo?”

Rey rolled her eyes. Was this woman for real? Maybe she really wanted the commision. All Rey wanted was to go back to the Jeep. The way Bazine purred out Ben’s name was making her stomach twist unpleasantly. 

“I’m a lawyer,” Ben informed the woman with the clipboard.

“How fascinating!” Bazine beamed. Rey could have sworn she saw dollar signs light up in the other woman’s eyes. Turning towards her, Bazine smirked and placed a hand on Ben’s chest. “And so nice of you to bring your _sister_ along.”

Rey narrowed her eyes. Something primal inside of her snapped. The moment Bazine’s hand made contact with Ben’s chest, Rey saw red.

She took a step closer to Ben, wrapping her arms around his waist and gently pulling him backwards, away from Bazine. “Oh, I’m not his sister,” she stated, sweetly. “I’m his girlfriend.”

Bazine’s smirk fell from her face, while Ben made a tiny choking sound. Rey merely pressed herself closer to him. 

“Girlfriend?” Bazine raised her skeptical gaze to Ben’s face.

Rey held her breath, waiting for Ben to confirm her story, wondering if he was mad. Maybe he found Bazine attractive? Maybe girls in California were more like her, with her manicured nails and heavy layers of makeup. Maybe that was the type of girl Ben wanted to be with.

For a moment, he didn’t say anything and Rey worried she had overstepped.

Then, his arm came around, his broad hand landing on her hip. 

“Yep. Girlfriend. Rey. She’s my girl. Rey. My girlfriend.”

Rey bit her tongue to keep from laughing. His inability to lie was endearing, though it certainly made this situation more awkward. Weren’t lawyers supposed to be professional liars?

Regardless of his shaky voice, Bazine bought it. Her nostrils flared and she nearly broke her clipboard in two as she stared at them. 

“I see,” she responded through a forced grin. “So, not a bachelor pad then?”

“No,” Ben clarified, his voice more stable. Rey tilted her head to glance up at him, only to find him staring down at her with an unreadable expression on his face. “Just a place to call home.”

“This way then,” Bazine directed curtly. 

Rey didn’t move right away and neither did Ben. They remained staring at one another, trapped in each other’s orbit. Rey felt the same pull she’d experienced back at Supremacy Heights. 

Ben bent down and she slid her hands up to wind around his neck. He angled himself towards her, his arm sneaking around to press against her lower back. His other hand came up, tenderly cradling her face. She closed her eyes, feeling his breath brush over her lips and—

“Ahem.”

They slowly broke apart, hands staying in place, while they were yanked from their daze.

“May I suggest a motel, if that’s all you’re interested in,” Bazine sneered.

“Thanks,” Ben replied, stunning both Rey and the Delphi Kloda employee with his forwardness. He took Rey’s hand, leading her away.  “Let’s go, sweetheart.”

* * *

 

“Ben? Ben, where are we going?” 

Rey watched as the island scene rapidly shifted from the well-known tourist stops, to the backroads, and finally to the narrow, sand paths that only off-roading vehicles could maneuver through. 

“Don’t worry. I’m not taking you to a motel,” he replied cheekily and gave her a wink. 

She laughed, envisioning Bazine’s stunned face.

He’d piled into the driver’s side of her Jeep when they made their exit. She hadn’t bothered to stop him, since her legs felt like jelly after their second almost-kiss. Unlike the first, this time Rey knew what Ben wanted. And she wanted it too.

“Almost there,” he grinned.

Rey couldn’t stop smiling. Her heart was racing, her skin was flushed, but she was happy, incandescently happy. Peeling out of Delphi Kloda, hearing Ben call her ‘sweetheart’ and getting lost in the backwoods of the island was like something out of a movie. It was a rush and she was determined to chase it for as long as it would last.

He guided her Jeep down a bumpy road, nearly overgrown with local plant life. Ben killed the engine outside of an old rod-iron gate and stone walls. 

Rey studied the entrance, her eyes locking down on a plaque on one of the stone columns.

 _Varykino Gardens. Established 1922._  

She glanced over at Ben. He was watching her, carefully trying to gauge her reaction. 

“Is this where...?”

“Yes,” he nodded. 

Rey turned back to the gate, spotting the massive padlock and chains woven through the gates doors. 

The last she’d heard, the garden had been closed off, never to be reopened after the events of the Skywalker bombing. She’d known the gardens were in the island somewhere, but the exact location hadn’t been publicized. She wondered how Ben had found it.

As if reading her mind, he gave her a small smile. “My mother kept up with it over the years. After my aunt passed, Leia felt a need to keep it alive, keep it hidden. It was probably born out of misplaced guilt, but she did, until I went to work for Palpatine & Snoke.”

Rey reached across the gearshift to take Ben’s hand. She gave it a reassuring  squeeze. 

“I never met them,” he continued. “Never even knew they were my grandparents until I learned about them in school. My moth— Leia never spoke about him. She hated him for what he did, for what his actions did to her mother. But she couldn’t let this place die.”

“Will you?” Rey asked, searching his eyes. 

He suddenly looked so young, so scared. It was as if he wasn’t even seeing her anymore, but the past ghosts who had once lived amongst the flowers and greenery. 

“Those who knew him said he loved her more than anything, that that was why he built her this garden. I want to believe that,” Ben admitted. “I want to believe there was still good in him, even if it was only meant for her.”

“Ben.” Rey reached her free hand up to his face, cupping his jaw. “You’re not your grandfather. There _is_ good in you.”

“No, Rey—” his voice broke and she realized he was crying. “Sorry.” he pulled away, hastily wiping at his eyes. “I was trying to be romantic, but I can’t do anything right.”

“Ben.” She tried to grab hold of his arms. “Ben, hey. Hey, stop. Look at me. _Please_ .”

Gradually, he glanced up at her. 

“Can we go inside? Will you show it to me?”

There was a pause, where she barely breathed, watching him stare at her. He appeared scared, as if he was waiting for her to run away. But Rey knew all about waiting. And she wasn’t going anywhere. 

“Alright,” he finally agreed.

Rey smiled encouragingly at him. They left the Jeep, going to the gate. 

“I can pick it,” she offered. 

“No need.”

Ben produced a set of keys from his back pocket. Rey blinked. Had he brought them with him the entire day? Had this always been the plan? To share this place with her? 

She watched, baffled, as he unlocked the gates. Ben Solo, the enigma. Just when she thought she had him figured out, he went and did something completely surprising. 

He reached back for her hand and she followed his lead. 

The garden was as overgrown as the road, but despite their years of neglect, the flowers were thriving. 

Rey wasn’t familiar with the names of all the types she could see, but she loved the colors. Brilliant hues of blue, purple, pink and every shade in between greeted her amongst blankets of deep, rich green vegetation. 

Ben guided her through the narrow entrance, under a forgotten arbor. Vines had overtaken the structure, making it nearly unrecognizable. It was as if the garden had erased all signs of mankind, growing rebelliously around the rod-iron and wooden components. 

She smiled, thinking of how the garden, like Ben, couldn’t be contained. They both lived outside the lines. Regardless of how his parents failed to raise Ben, the person before her had grown up to be a kind man. He’d defied all expectations placed on him, breaking out on his own. The man he was today was a product of his efforts. Like the garden, he was what he’d grown beyond. 

“Through here,” he directed Rey, as he ducked under a low-hanging beam of a pergola. 

She gave his hand another squeeze, earning a grin from over his shoulder. There was no evidence of the scared boy from the Jeep. He was back to being Ben. 

 _Her_ Ben. 

Rey flushed. Satisfaction, warm and sweet, filled her at that. 

After her intense study sessions and goal to reach the Dean’s List for the fourth semester in a row, Rey’s main goal for the summer had been to catch some sun and some waves. Somehow, fate had thrown a monkey wrench into her plans. She’d managed to catch something even better. 

They came to the edge of the garden, where the sweeping collection of fauna met the water of the bay. It was quiet back here. Most of the locals chose to live near the bay, seeking quiet refuge away from Beach Road and the tourist traps. However, few lived out this far. Some even considered it cursed. 

“What do you think?” Ben asked. 

Rey could tell from the waver in his voice, he was nervous about her reaction. She dropped his hand to hug him around the waist, as she had done at Delphi Kloda. 

“It’s perfect.”

She felt Ben’s exhale of relief, before his big arms wrapped around her in return. He held onto her, resting his chin on the top of her head while they listened to the soft lapping of the bag against the garden’s barrier wall. 

Rey breathed in his scent, musky with a hint of pine from his soap and coconut from his sunscreen. She smiled, pressing her cheek to his chest. 

They’d both been adrift, lost children in the tempest of an unforgiving society. Somehow, they’d both managed to pull themselves up and survive. They’d found their guiding light to make the journey home, where they found one another. 

Rey wasn’t under any false pretenses. She knew she was broken. There were some scars which wouldn’t ever fully heal, but with time and salt water, the wounds had lessened. She’d help Ben find his place on the island, a place with her. They could cling to one another, still adrift, but no longer alone. They would be each other’s life raft. 

“So.” Ben cleared his throat. “Girlfriend, huh?”

The flush returned and Rey leaned back sheepishly. “I was trying to save you from an uncomfortable situation,” she explained.

“Oh, really?” Ben’s lips twitched. Her eyes narrowed when she realized he was trying not to laugh at her. 

She stepped back, crossing her arms over her chest. “Really,” she replied stubbornly. 

“That’s too bad,” he said with a sigh. “I planned on finishing what you started.”

Rey’s eyes widened and before she could come up with a response, Ben was moving towards her. Gently, he took her face in his hands. As he leaned down, Rey rose to her tiptoes, her hands reaching for him. 

The first brush of his lips against hers was light, testing, but it swiftly became more heated. 

Ben dragged her into his arms, crushing her to his chest. She let out a little squeak of surprise. The noise died when his lips descended upon hers once more. Her finger tips toyed with the hair at the nape of his neck, while Ben’s hands rolled down her lower back to cup her bottom through her jean shorts. 

She lost herself in the feel of him, surrounded by his warmth and his scent. Their hands explored one another, slipping over their shirts and shorts, trailing curious lines across their bodies. 

When Rey bit down on Ben’s lower lip, he rolled his hips into her. The moan which escaped her was indecent, but it only encouraged him. He tilted her head back slightly to deepen the kiss. 

Rey couldn’t feel her legs anymore. She wobbled, lightheaded and a bit disoriented by the onslaught of endorphins racing through her. 

Ben pulled back hesitantly, his brow furrowing in concern. 

She let out a little laugh. “I think you have to drive. I don’t think I’m going to make it.”

His face broke into a grin. Rey had never seen him look happier. 

“Come on, sweetheart. I’ll take you home.”

* * *

 

“How was apartment hunting, Ben?” Han asked that evening over dinner.

Ben’s gaze flickered to Rey, before he replied, “I’m going to move into Supremacy Heights at the end of next week.” 

They’d discussed it on the drive back. Ben told her that he liked seeing her there. Rey couldn’t help but think it might have had something to do with their almost kiss. Though she had to admit, she liked the apartment as well, especially the view from the balcony.

He explained that if she was there, it would feel like home. Rey had been elated before, the kiss having woken her up to the endless possibilities, all beginning and ending with Ben. Yet, hearing him tell her how her presence in his new apartment made him feel, made it all real. 

She’d offered to help him move, enlisting Finn, Rose and even Poe to join in. While he drove, she shot off text messages, given them the date and time for the moving truck’s arrival, as well as promising pizza and beer if they showed up. At first, Ben had protested, until Rey mentioned that the sooner they moved all his items into his apartment, the sooner she could visit. He’d turned scarlet when she followed up her statement with a suggestive wink.

“That’s the new one down by milepost nine, right?” Han questioned, drawing Rey back to the present conversation. 

“Yeah,” Ben confirmed.

His brow knit in suspicion, when his father didn’t offer up a negative comment on his son’s decision. Rey watched as surprise clouded Ben’s features. Han had been making a huge effort since she’d spoken to him. He’d reorganized his office, removing some of his knick-knacks to make room for pictures of Ben. His son hadn’t returned to the hangar, but Rey was sure when he did, Ben would be pleased by the change. 

“Gwen is quite rough around the edges,” Leia remarked. “When she stopped by city hall for her permits last year, she made Lor and I late for lunch.”

“I’m sure the restaurant didn’t mind you were a few minutes late,” Han replied. “You are a consistent patron around here, Princess.”

Ben stared at his parents, then over at Rey. Oh, he definitely knew something was up. As happy as it made her to see Han support his son’s decisions, it continued to bother Rey that Ben didn’t expect his parent’s support. She’d had such a vastly different experience over the last several years. She hoped this would be a turning point for the Solo family.

“I’m just saying,” Leia continued. “She’s a difficult woman.”

Rey watched Ben clench his jaw. She cleared her throat. “I thought she was nice,” Rey supplied. “She gave us a very detailed tour and didn’t rush us. She answered every one of your questions, right, Ben?”

“Yeah,” he agreed.

Leia glanced at them, pausing for a moment with a question clearly poised on the tip of her tongue. Then she shook her head and her signature Senator’s smile graced her lips. 

“I’m glad you found somewhere you feel comfortable, Ben.”

Han shot Rey a grin and the four resumed eating. 

When Rey raised her gaze to Ben, he mouthed ‘Thank you.’

She just smiled around her forkful of scallops, counting down the days until Ben’s move.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [No Shirt, No Shoes Playlist](https://open.spotify.com/user/12179392034/playlist/7hx7ywi5m1t3GDWinrdrlw?si=HYKy32ARQgeKyHtBdKHwrg)
> 
> [No Shirt, No Shoes Masterpost](https://wewantreylo.tumblr.com/post/183238842637/wewantreylo-no-shirt-no-shoes-big-problem)


	10. Wild Honey

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _Mama, I'm tellin' you, as sure as I'm standing here,_   
>  _She's my girl and that's the way I'm keeping it now, mama dear_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We hit the 500 kudos milestone!!!! Thank you everyone!!!!
> 
> Special thanks to my beta, [LoveofEscapism](https://archiveofourown.org/users/LoveofEscapism/pseuds/LoveofEscapism/works) who has supported this fic since day one. Without her, I wouldn't have finished it!

 

Over the next week, Ben noticed a change. It started out slow, like the first beams of sunlight flitting across the horizon at sunrise, but by the end of the week, he recognized the about-turn his relationship with his parents had taken.

 

While he packed up the few items he chose to take from his childhood room to his new apartment, Ben chewed on the inside of his cheek. Han had taken the first step; always asking Ben how his day was the moment he got home. He recalled details, no matter how small, from the days prior, often following up with Ben on how surfing lessons were going and if he’d gotten final approval to begin working at the hospital.

 

Over the weekend, Leia had joined in. The four of them had been sitting on the back patio, enjoying after dinner drinks. Rey had taken the dogs down to the beach to get some exercise. When Ben moved to join her, his mother’s hand fell on his arm.

 

“How are you doing, Ben?”

 

Her question caught him off-guard. Her tone was gentle, as though she was afraid to scare him off. Of course, the fact she was even trying was enough to make him wary of her intentions. After all, his mother was a politician. Ben snuck a glance at his father, noticing Han’s curious expression as he watched their interaction.

 

“I’m fine, Mom,” he answered, sitting back down.

 

“Good.” She smiled. “That’s good.”

 

She didn’t say any more, but Ben didn’t leave. He waited, trying to understand the sudden shift in his parents’ exchanges with him.

 

It continued throughout the rest of the week. Each time his mother spoke to him, she seemed more confident and Ben realized she was just as unsure about how to talk to him, as he was when speaking with her. Unlike either of them, Han didn’t overthink things. He asked what he wanted, when he wanted and if things got awkward, he merely laughed it off and moved on.

 

By the end of the week, Leia had begun coming home at lunch, eating in the kitchen with Ben. She shared what she was working on and, in turn, Ben kept her up to date on his status at the hospital. They only discussed Snoke once. It was a challenging conversation. Ben clenched his fists more than once, but by the end of their lunch hour, he felt the air was cleared. At least on that point.

 

The one topic that no one brought up, though, was the fact that he and Rey were inseparable.

 

He waited on the porch for her each afternoon. She’d pull up in her Jeep, all smiles and sunshine. They’d drive up to D’Qar Point together, meeting up with Finn and Rose to surf for a couple hours. Sometimes, Poe and Paige joined them too. Ben found his former peer was a gifted surfer, like Rey, even if Poe tended to complain about how the water messed up his hair. Ben was pleased to note how the others teased him mercilessly about it.

 

Ben embraced the other change in his life: friends. He’d never really had them, at least none he considered seriously, though the more time he spent with Poe, the more he had to admit that Poe was alright. Ben didn’t know if Poe and he could have been closer in high school, but Ben acknowledged that he could have tried.

 

If Poe agreed, he never said so. In fact, he’d been nothing short of generous to Ben, bringing him board wax and an extra leash to keep on hand.

 

“Just in case,” Poe had told him.

 

Ben had stared at the objects far longer than necessary, feeling uncomfortable. Other than Rey, no one had ever been so kind to him before. Granted, he’d bought a surfboard from Poe’s shop, yet Ben was convinced this act had little to do with his purchase.

 

“Thanks,” Ben had replied.

 

That day, he understood why Rey loved the island so much. People here took care of their own and now, thanks to his surfer girl, they were taking care of him too.

 

* * *

 

Thursday afternoon, after hours of surfing, Rey parked in the driveway, excitedly chatting away about the new plane she was working on.

 

“I’ve never restored a P-61 before,”’she informed him. “This one actually flew in the war.”

 

Ben nodded, grinning as he listened to her go on. She was thrilled for the opportunity, always seeing the mountain and deciding how to climb it, instead of pondering if she should even try. His stubborn, determined girl.

 

His cell rang, interrupting her. She flashed him an encouraging smile and motioned to the mailbox. Ben nodded, before answering his incoming call.

 

“Hello?”

 

“Ben.” The calming tone of an older woman greeted him on the other end.

 

“Dr. Kalonia, good afternoon.”

 

“I have good news,” she announced. “Your paperwork has all been cleared. You’re free to start Monday morning.”

 

Ben thanked her, as he watched Rey thumbing through the mail. She plucked out one piece and her eyes lit up.

 

“That’s great. I’ll see you on Monday morning. Have a good evening, Dr. Kalonia.” He ended the call and approached Rey. “What is it?”

 

“My grades,” she replied softly. “They must have been posted.”

 

He didn’t like the way her light suddenly dimmed. There wasn’t a smile on her face and there should always be a smile on her face.

 

“Well, what are you waiting for? Open them up.” He nudged her playfully. Rey gazed up at him, eyes wide. It was the most vulnerable he’d seen her since their heart to heart on the beach his first night. She was always so open with him, so trusting. It made him feel whole, knowing she cared for him enough to let him in, knowing that he was enough for her.

 

“I’m just nervous.” She brushed him off. “I know it’s silly. But I worked really hard this semester and if the grades aren’t what I hoped for…”

 

“I’m sure you did great, sweetheart. You’re amazing.” He enveloped her in a hug, kissing the top of her head.

 

Her arms locked together along his back as she rested her cheek on his chest. Ben held her quietly for a long moment, feeling the rise and fall of each breath, while she drew comfort from him.

 

“Okay,” her reply was shaky, as she drew back. He released her, giving her space to open the letter.

 

Tentatively, she unfolded it. Ben held his breath, watching as her eyes skimmed over the details. Slowly, her lips pulled up in a smile.

 

“I made the Dean’s List!” She beamed brightly up at him.

 

“Congratulations, sweetheart.” He scooped her up, hugging her close and spinning them both around, while Rey laughed joyously into him.

 

As he set her back down, she asked,” Who was that on the phone?”

 

“Dr. Kalonia,” he replied. “Seems like you’re not the only one with good news today.”

 

“Ben! That’s great! When do you start?”

 

“Monday.”

 

“We need to celebrate,” Rey declared.

 

Ben buzzed with the idea of celebrating with her. Considering all the hints she had dropped about what they could do once he moved into his apartment, he immediately drew certain conclusions about what she meant. Maybe she’d flounce around his apartment in that string bikini of hers. Maybe she’d let him untie it. Maybe she’d let him do _more_ than untie it.

 

However, Rey’s idea of celebrating was vastly different than his own.

 

She wanted to go out with their friends, instantly sending a group text to Finn, Rose, Poe and Paige. Rey invited them all to join her and Ben at Wave Runners, a small beach bar frequented by locals. She told Leia and Han they’d be safe and proceeded to get showered up for the evening.

 

Grumbling to himself, while trying not to think of what she looked like in the shower, Ben went through his packing boxes to find something to wear. He’d didn’t have many casual outfits, considering he’d spent almost all his time in California working. It was either a three-piece suit or boxer shorts. There was no in between.

 

“Shower’s free,” Rey called from the hallway. Her voice rang clear as a bell, before he heard her door close.

 

Ben’s mood soured, upon realizing he missed his chance to see his girl in nothing more than a towel. Grabbing a black T-shirt and some khaki shorts, he headed into the bathroom.

 

As much as he enjoyed his new circle of friends, Ben was far more interested in getting Rey alone. It wasn’t until he recognized that they couldn’t actually be alone, so long as they were both living under his parent’s roof, that he understood her choice for celebrating. There was nowhere for them to go, at least not within the perimeter of the Organa-Solo property.

 

Feeling less rejected, though no less disappointed — it was only a couple more days — Ben showered.

 

Rey’s bedroom door was still shut when he finished. Ben hovered in the hallway for a moment, tempted to knock. _No_ . He shook his head. No, Rey deserved better than that. Just because he felt as though he was being ruled by his libido, didn’t mean he could lose control. Besides, when they finally did _that_ , Ben intended to hear every one of Rey’s delicious little sighs and cries. He didn’t want her to hold back. He certainly wouldn’t be.

 

He returned to his room to fix his hair and finish getting ready, impatient to see his surfer girl.

 

She didn’t leave him waiting for long.

 

“Almost ready?”

 

Ben had to do a double take. He’d never seen Rey in a dress before. The fabric hung loose and light around her frame, cinched in at her slim waist and then flailing out again above her knees. There were thin, golden bangles hanging on her wrist and little, gold accent earrings peeking out from her wavy, chestnut locks. She looked like a beach goddess, perfectly tan and absolutely tantalizing.

 

Wordlessly, he approached her, eyes never leaving her face. As he drew closer, Ben spotted the subtle additions of makeup. His girl didn’t need it. She was gorgeous all on her own. He had every intention of telling her that, but the moment he reached her, his hands were cupping her cheeks.

 

The kiss was slow and sensual, different than the frenzied ones they’d shared all week. In this moment, there was no reason to rush. Time felt as if it had stopped.

 

Ben’s hands left her face to hold onto his girl. She was so warm and pliant beneath his touch. It had him deepening the kiss, wrapping himself around her until no space existed between them. This was how he always wanted to be — _just like this_ — together with Rey, shuttling out the rest of the world.

 

When he finally pulled back, Rey’s smile was so radiant that she was practically glowing. “So the dress looks okay, then?”

 

“I’d like you better without it,” Ben confessed, his thumb rubbing her bare shoulder blade.

 

She hummed, quirking an eyebrow at him. “I bet you would.”

 

“I would,” he insisted.

 

With a laugh, she pulled away, heading out of his room. She paused in the doorway, gazing over her shoulder at him. “Well, Mr. Solo, you’ll just have to wait,” Rey smirked. “Saturday isn’t that far off.”

 

With that, she strolled away, her hips rolling just a bit more than usual. Ben flopped down on his bed with a groan. He flung his arm over his face.

 

 _Two more days_ , he reminded himself. _It’s only two more days._

 

* * *

 

Wave Runners was busy by the time Ben pulled up. He refused to let Rey drive, considering this was technically their first official date. Plus, he needed to remain focused on something that wasn’t how long her legs looked or how sweet she tasted.

 

The bar didn’t have a single available seat. Ben tensed when he noticed the number of people frequenting the beach hang out. Then he caught sight of Poe waving off to the side and relaxed. The other man had gotten them a booth at the far end. It wasn’t really a booth, per se. It was a pair of outdoor couches sitting across from one another and separated by a table, but it had a cozy booth feel. 

 

Poe grinned at Ben and Rey, before sitting back down next to Finn and Rose. Across from the youngest Tico, her sister sat, sipping on a brightly colored cocktail. He wondered how much more talkative the sisters would be with copious amounts of alcohol in their systems. Ben bit the inside of his cheek to keep himself from saying something rude as Rey led him over.

 

“Hey, babe,” Rose greeted Rey, pulling her into a hug. “Congrats in making the Dean’s List again!”

 

“Thanks,” Rey blushed. For as nervous as she had been about her results, Ben noticed she struggled to accept compliments.

 

“Hey, Ben.” Rose turned her attention to him. “You clean up nice.”

 

Ben felt Rey take his hand, her blush darkening as her smile grew. “He does, doesn’t he?” 

 

No one seemed surprised by how openly affectionate she was with him. Her friends — _their_ friends, he reminded himself — appeared comfortable with the fact Ben and Rey were a couple. Unlike his parents, who pointedly ignored the situation, the crew before him was all too happy for them.

 

“If you’re with Rey, you’re going to need a beer, man,” Finn teased, getting up to order a round for their table.

 

“Haha,” Rey snarked back. 

 

“Hope Paige, here, isn’t too hard on you at work next week,” Poe commented, as Ben and Rey sat down next to the oldest Tico.

 

“He’s not going to be in the ER, Poe.” Paige rolled her eyes. 

 

“Compliance,” Ben reminded his friend. “I’ll be in an office upstairs.” 

 

“Ooooo, fancy,” Poe remarked, before throwing back a swig of his Corona. 

 

Rey started chatting with Paige about what she was drinking, leaving Ben to talk with Rose and Poe. He wasn’t sure what to say, so he was grateful when Rose took the lead. 

 

“You must be excited to start fresh,” she said encouragingly. 

 

“I’ve never worked anywhere besides Palpatine and Snoke. They had expectations and run on a tight schedule, but I have a feeling Dr. Kalonia’s style is a bit...different.” 

 

“Harter is great to work for,” Paige interjected. “She’s an accomplished Doctor — one of the best — but she’s an even better leader. She has a real gift for inspiring others and helping them achieve their own potential. I think you’re going to enjoy it.”

 

“Thanks,” Ben grinned. 

 

“At the very least it will give you more time to spend at D’Qar working on your board skills,” Poe suggested. 

 

“Hey!” Rey cried, throwing an empty beer coozie at him. “I resent that. I taught Ben how to surf.”

 

“And you did a fine job, sunshine,” Poe told her. “But Benny boy, here, is years behind the master.” He pointed to himself with both thumbs. 

 

“If we had a douchebag jar, you’d need to stuff a fifty in for that one,” Paige retorted. 

 

“What’s a douchebag jar?” Ben asked.

 

“You’ve never seen ‘The New Girl’?” Finn asked, reappearing with his beer in hand.

 

“No,” Ben admitted.

 

“What? None for the rest of us?” Aside of him, Rey rose, narrowing her eyes at Finn. “I’m going to grab a drink.” She turned to Ben. “What do you want?” 

 

He furrowed his brow. “You can’t drink. You’re not legal yet.”

 

“They never card here.” She flashed him a smile. “But I’ve been drinking at home for years.”

 

“I can’t believe Lando let’s you get away with this,” he scoffed. Then with a shake of his head, he added. “Actually, I can. He’s just as bad as my dad.” Rey merely smirked at him. “I’ll take a whiskey, neat.”

 

“You got it.” She leaned down, kissed him on the cheek and sauntered away. 

 

It was brief, barely a kiss at all, but it felt so natural. It was as if they’d been doing things like this — little touches, gentle embraces — for years, instead of days. It was like they belonged with one another, to one another. 

 

“She really cares about you, you know?” Finn was staring at Ben. He’d gone from goofing off with his pals, to laying down the law when it came to his best friend. 

 

“I care about her too,” Ben promised sincerely. 

 

“I know,” Finn replied. “Which is why we’re all cool with you being here. But I think it goes without saying what will happen, if you hurt her.” He gave Ben a pointed look. 

 

“I would never hurt her,” Ben insisted. He glanced over Finn’s shoulder to where Rey was standing at the bar. At the same time, she checked over her shoulder and caught his eye. “I love her.”

 

Finn spit out his beer, Rose and Paige let out a chorus of ‘awwws’ and Poe grinned like the cat who got the cream. 

 

“I knew it,” he cheered. “Told ya.” He pointed at Finn. “Told ya. Told ya.” He pointed at Rose and Paige, who were gazing at Ben with strange expressions on their faces. Were there hearts in their eyes? 

 

“Yeah, yeah, you called it.” Finn brushed off his shirt. 

 

“Called what?” Rey asked, appearing behind Finn with a drink in each hand. 

 

Everyone froze. Ben thought his heart would give out. She was scrutinizing them all, trying to understand what they were going on about. 

 

“That Ben would be a whiskey drinker,” Poe responded smoothly. 

 

Rey smiled at him and sat back down. Poe shot Ben a wink. 

 

Maybe Poe Dameron and him could have been friends, back in high school. Maybe Ben just never gave him a chance. He wouldn’t make the same mistake again. 

* * *

  
After one fruity cocktail, Rey was leaning into him, one hand on his thigh while her other held onto her glass of water. Ben sipped his second round of whiskey, happy to sit back and listen to his surfer girl chat away with her friends, as long as she was cuddled up close to him. 

 

As the night waned on, the owner announced last call and the group made their trek to the parking lot. Ben helped Rey into his Lexus, saying goodnight to everyone, as he watched them all pile into Poe’s famed van. 

 

Ben was still chuckling about the other man’s obsession with the orange monstrosity, when he sat in the driver’s seat.

 

“So, what were you all _really_ talking about earlier?” Rey asked.

 

His grip on the shifter tightened and he slipped into the wrong gear. “What?”

 

“You know _what_.” She narrowed her eyes at him. 

 

He fumbled to get the car into the correct gear, before answering. “It wasn’t anything bad.” _Unless you don’t feel the same way_ , he thought. 

 

“Then why can’t you tell me?”

 

“I will,” Ben vowed. “Just not tonight, alright? It’s already late and you have work in the morning.”

 

Rey held his gaze for a moment, but then she relented with a soft, “Okay, Ben.”

 

It didn’t take long to arrive back at his parents’ house. Ben had expected more traffic at that time of night, since it was the start of the tourist season. What he didn’t expect was for Rey to stop him outside her bedroom door.

 

“Rey?”

 

“Will you stay with me tonight?”

 

“Sweetheart, that’s not a good idea.”

 

“I know we kind of had an unspoken agreement to wait until you moved in and that’s fine. I just...” she trailed off. “I just meant actual sleep. I think I’d sleep better with you there. Please, Ben?” 

 

She asked so sweetly, and as if proving her point, she yawned. Ben couldn’t deny her. 

 

“Alright.” He kissed the top of her head. “I’ll be right back.”

 

Rey nodded and disappeared into her room to change. He did the same.

 

His nerves made it difficult to concentrate on the basic task. He’d never slept with anyone before, in any sense of the word. Sleeping with Rey, in her room, seemed far more intimate than their shared moments on the beach, than the treasure moments when she held his hand and even more precious than their heated kisses. She was inviting him into her space, another layer of her life, and Ben cherished that level of trust.

 

He opted for a pair of cotton boxers and a plain T-shirt, something comfortable for both of them. 

 

When he arrived at her door, it was open. He peered inside, finding her sitting timidly in the edge of her bed. Blush stained her cheeks. She was as nervous as he was. 

 

Slowly, Ben walked over to her bed, allowing her to lay down first before he climbed in next to her. He draped an arm around her waist, burying his face in her chestnut waves. 

 

“Okay?” he questioned.

 

“Yes,” Rey breathed. He felt her reach up to hold his hand, where it rested on her stomach. “Night, Ben.”

 

“Goodnight, Rey.” _I love you_. 

* * *

 

Ben woke a couple of hours later, cursing his decision to drink so much. With a kiss to Rey’s head, he carefully slipped out of bed. Bleary-eyed, he padded out of her room and across the hall to the bathroom.

 

Once he’d taken care of business, he ventured back, only to stop short. 

 

“Mom?”

 

Leia was standing outside his empty room, dressed in her pajamas, bathrobe and slippers. It was clear she knew he hadn’t slept in his bed, and while they hadn’t spoke about the nature of his relationship with Rey, he realized there wasn’t much left to speculate on. Not now, given his choice of clothing. 

 

“I think we need to have a little chat,” Leia stated.

 

Ben sighed, “Okay.”

 

He quietly closed Rey’s bedroom door, then joined his mother downstairs in the kitchen.

 

For a moment, neither one of them spoke. Then, just when Ben was about to announce that it was late and propose revisiting the discussion in the morning, his mother cleared her throat.

 

“I hope you know what you’re doing with Rey.”

 

“Excuse me?”

 

“Rey,” Leia repeated, as if he didn’t know who they were discussing. “She’s not just some girl you can hook-up with and then disappear on. She was abandoned as a child, Ben. That kind of thing leaves a scar.”

 

“I know,” he replied testily. “She and I have that in common.”

 

Leia fixed him with a glare. “We are talking about Rey. If you want to talk about your issues with me and your father, can we at least wait until a more reasonable hour? I need wine for that.” 

 

“Reasonable hour?” Ben groused. “You’re the one who pulled me out of bed!”

 

“You weren’t in your bed,” she reminded him. “You were sleeping with Rey. Under my roof!”

 

“Yeah,” Ben confirmed with annoyance in his tone. “Sleeping. And that’s all we were doing. Give me some credit, Mom. I may not know what I’m doing, but I know it’s her choice and I’m fine with that.”

 

Leia blinked. They fell silent once more, as she processed his words. When she spoke again, her voice was softer. “You seem to be happier...with her.”

 

“I am.” 

 

“She’s a special girl.”

 

“She really is,” Ben agreed. “I took her to Varykino.”

 

Leia’s eyebrows rose in shock. “Your grandmother’s garden? Rey was...she was there?”

 

Ben nodded. “I took her the day we went apartment hunting.”

 

“So that’s when you two—.”

 

“Yeah,” he replied. “I know you don’t think I’m good enough for her, but I care about her. I want to take care of her. I want to make her happy.”

 

“You love her.” Leia didn’t phrase it as a question. 

 

“I do,” Ben affirmed. 

 

“She’s going back to school at the end of the summer,” his mother pointed out. “What will you do then?”

 

“Wait.”

 

“For two years?”

 

“I’ve waited my whole life for something,” Ben explained. “It wasn’t until I met her, that I realized it wasn’t a thing but a someone. I was waiting for Rey.”

 

Leia nodded. “Alright then.” 

 

Ben’s brow creased. “Alright?” he asked skeptically. “Just like that?”

 

She laughed. “Have you ever tried to talk a Solo out of doing something stupid? Or a Skywalker, for that matter?” He shook his head no. “Exactly. Trust me, Ben. It’s impossible.”

 

They sat together for a few moments more, before Ben rose to head back upstairs.

 

“You are.” His mother’s voice made him pause.

 

“What?” He turned to glance at her over his shoulder.

 

“Good enough for her,” Leia clarified. “You said you thought my objection was because I didn’t think you were good enough for. That’s not it. You are good for her and she’s good for you.”

 

“Then why aren’t you happy?” Ben queried.

 

“Because.” His mother gave a watery laugh. “Both my children are grown up now and moving on. You two don’t need me anymore.” 

 

Ben stared in disbelief at the woman, the General, the formidable Leia Organa, who sat in her bathrobe, crying over the fact she was an empty nester. Suddenly, he realized that perhaps Poe wasn’t the only one he’d misjudged. 

 

He crossed the room to his mother, enveloping her in a hug. 

 

“We may not always need you, mom, but we will still want you,” he declared. “I’ll try harder...to be around.”

 

“I’ll try harder too,” she promised, as she hugged him back. 

 

It wasn’t until sunrise that Ben finally crawled back into bed aside of his little surfer girl. As he sunk into the mattress, he felt lighter and more whole than he had in years. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Something Wild](https://archiveofourown.org/works/18000935/chapters/42526250) will be updating tomorrow afternoon before I have to travel for work.   
> 
> 
> [No Shirt, No Shoes Playlist](https://open.spotify.com/user/12179392034/playlist/7hx7ywi5m1t3GDWinrdrlw?si=HYKy32ARQgeKyHtBdKHwrg)  
> 


	11. Good Vibrations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _Close my eyes, she's somehow closer now_   
>  _Softly smile, I know she must be kind_   
>  _When I look in her eyes_   
>  _She goes with me to a blossom world_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We earn our 'E' rating in this one, folks!
> 
> Continued thanks to my beta, [LoveofEscapism](https://archiveofourown.org/users/LoveofEscapism/pseuds/LoveofEscapism/works) without whom this fic wouldn't be what it is.

 

Rey groaned when her alarm began shrieking on Saturday morning. It was the weekend, finally. The weekend was meant for sleeping in, eating towering stacks of pancakes and not getting out of your pajamas until after noon. Why was her alarm clock going off now? 

The sound abruptly stopped, at the same time a deep voice cursed angrily.

“Morning.” She giggled, remembering why the alarm was set and who was currently lying next to her. 

An arm snaked around her midsection, pulling her closer. “Morning.” Ben nuzzled his face into the crook of her neck. 

“Are you ready for today?” she asked excitedly.

“Mmmm.” He kissed her pulse point. “Depends.” He kissed her earlobe.

“On what?” she questioned, shuddering from the wave of desire he caused to roll through her. He continued his kissing trail, moving over to capture her lips. 

“How much time do we have before we leave?”

“Ben,” She laughed. 

After Thursday night, they had officially agreed not to do anything ill-advisable while at the house. Of course, saying it and actually doing it were two different things. It was hard to remember what they’d promised to each other, let alone her own name, when Ben’s hands were skimming over her skin. When had he snuck under her shirt? 

“You’re always so warm,” he commented, drawing her closer. 

“Ben,” she tried again, but her attempt was weak. 

He pulled her leg up over his hip, grinding into her, while his lips found hers. Rey moaned. She tangled her fingers in his hair. She’d said they’d wait until Saturday. Technically, it was Saturday. 

Her snooze setting began going off, but she ignored it. Ben didn’t appear to hear it either. 

He rolled them over so she was on her back, slotting himself between her legs. Rey could feel his weight, heavy and hot, pinning her to the mattress. Ben’s hands seemed to be everywhere. His palm spanned her stomach, leaving his free hand to slide up her thigh .He was massive all over, including where it counted most — at least where her current desires were concerned. 

Rey yanked on his hair, earning a filthy groan from his lips. His hand crept up her ribcage to cup her breast through her bra. Rey arched into his touch, arousal singing in her veins. The hand on her thigh went to her hip, forcing her back down. 

“We can be late,” he murmured against her lips. 

“Yes,” she agreed, barely recognizing her own voice. Did she always sound so out of breath? 

He rolled his hips. 

“Gwen has the key.”

Her eyes rolled into the back of her head.

“Yes.” 

Ben pushed her bra to the side, rubbing his thumb over her erect nipple. 

“The others will figure it out.”

Rey felt a coil in her abdomen constrict. She was overheating, burning up with her need for him. 

“Yes.”

“Want these off,” Ben growled, tugging at her pajamas.

“Ye—.”

“Ben? Rey? Are you up?” Leia knocked on the bedroom door. 

_In a manner of speaking..._

“Fuck,” Ben hissed, instantly withdrawing from her. 

Rey bit down on her bottom lip to keep from cursing along with him. “Sorry,” she called out. “My phone fell and I missed my snooze button.”

“Han made breakfast,” Leia responded. “Come down before it gets cold.” 

They both waited, frozen, until they heard her footsteps leading away from the room.

“I guess we should head downstairs,” Rey suggested, tossing back the sheets. 

“You go,” Ben told her, flushed red. “I have to, um, take care of this.” He gestured to the prominent bulge in his boxers. 

Rey blushed in response, pleased she had such an effect on him. “Tonight,” she reminded him, leaning over to kiss him. 

“Tonight,” he repeated.

* * *

 

If Leia and Han had any suspicions about what Rey and Ben had been doing earlier, they didn’t show it. 

Han handed her a plate full of scrambled eggs, biscuits and gravy. While Leia couldn’t cook, she did have a keen ability to bake and her biscuits were easily Rey’s favorite dish, especially when Han covered them in artery-clogging sausage gravy. 

Apparently it wasn’t only Rey’s favorite dish. Chewie and Threepio were dutifully waiting by Han’s feet to see if he dropped any morsels for them to lap up. 

“You’re going to need your energy today,” Han reminded Rey, as she sat down. 

“Are you sure you two don’t need more help?” Leia asked. She had a sensible breakfast of grapefruit and cream of wheat, while she read through the morning paper. 

“No, we’re good,” Rey assured her. “I roped in the gang to help. Ben’s going to buy them pizza afterwards, so I figure it’s an even trade. Plus, Poe is letting us use Bebe, so we don’t have to take more than two cars.” 

“That’s nice,” Leia commented. She eyed Han, as he sat down across from her, his plate filled with more gravy than biscuits. “Han!”

“What?” 

“The cardiologist told you to lay off the fats,” Leia snapped.

Han shrugged indifferently. “I’ll have some egg whites later.”

Leia rolled her eyes and returned to reading the paper. Han winked at Rey, taking a big bite of his breakfast. 

“Morning,” Ben greeted them all, as he swept into the kitchen. 

“Gravy’s on the stove,” Han directed him through his mouthful. 

“Thanks.” He filled his plate and joined them at the kitchen table, Threepio and Chewie hot on his heels. “Don’t you feed these mutts?” he asked, raising a brow at the puppy dog eyes he received. 

“They are waiting for something better,” Han chuckled. “They think they are people, like us.” 

“‘Cause you spoil them,” Ben pointed out.

“ _I_ don’t spoil them,” Leia declared. “Your father does.”

Rey flashed a smile across the table at Ben, as Han and Leia bickered over who spoiled the dogs more. To some people, the fighting may have been obvious, embarrassing even, but to them it was the sound of family. 

 

* * *

 

 

Rose, Paige and Poe were already unloading the moving truck when Rey and Ben pulled into Supremacy Heights. She beamed proudly, grateful to have such a dedicated group of friends. Struggling to make connections with her peers at college didn’t matter when Rey knew she could come home to people who truly loved her. 

“Hey!” She waved, as she jumped out of the Lexus to give them a hand. 

“Rough morning?” Poe asked, winking at Ben. 

“I overslept,” Rey lied, ducking her head down to conceal her blush. 

“ _Right_ ,” Poe drawled sarcastically. “And Ben just happened to oversleep too?”

“Let them go, Dameron,” Paige grumbled, elbowing him, as she passed by to retrieve another box from the truck.

“You didn’t have to start without us,” Ben commented. 

“No biggie.” Rose shrugged. “We thought we’d at least get a head start.”

Rey glanced around. “Where’s Finn?”

“Pssst! Pssst, Peanut!”

Craning her neck, Rey turned around to find her best friend hiding behind a wardrobe inside the box truck. 

“What the hell?” Ben voiced his confusion and surprise.

“She’s still here,” Finn whisper-yelled.

“Who?” Rey asked, brow creased in confusion.

“Phasma.” 

Oh.... _oh!_

Rey had thought the woman looked familiar. Now she knew why. Last summer, Finn had worked as a janitor at Supremacy Heights, taking care of the property and the rental offices to earn some extra money. At first, it seemed like an easy job, offering him nights and weekends off so he could hang with them and still go surfing. But he quickly learned that his boss wasn’t as lenient as he had suspected. 

Finn quit halfway through the summer, unable to deal with Phasma’s aggressive attitude and insanely high-expectations. He’d rarely mentioned her name, but Rey recalled how upset he’d been last summer over the position. It wasn’t until now that she realized what she’d asked of her friend. 

“You have to face her sometime, Finn,” Rose remarked.

“No, I don’t. I can just hide in here all day,” he argued childishly.

“In the summer heat?” Ben questioned skeptically. “What are you going to do when we are done moving everything in? Stay out here and have a pity party all by yourself?”

Finn glared at Rey’s boyfriend. “Listen, Solo, just because—.”

“Ah, Mr. Storm,” a clipped, professional tone interrupted. “I didn’t expect to see you again.”

“Phasma,” he grit out in response. Rey shot him an angry glare. Finn cleared his throat. “I’m here helping my friends.”

“How thoughtful,” she purred, though she sounded as though she thought it anything but. 

“Mr. Solo.” Gwen turned to Ben. “I have some paperwork for you to sign, if you’d follow me to the office, please?”

“I’ll be right back,” he told Rey, reaching down to give her hand a squeeze, while he placed a chaste kiss to her temple. 

She watched him follow Gwen into the office, smiling the entire time. 

“Someone’s got it bad.” Rose nudged her playfully. 

“I know,” Rey admitted, flushing as she joined her friends in carrying Ben’s items up to the new apartment. “He’s nothing like what I expected.”

“Oh, girl,” Paige whistled. “They never are.”

“Speaking from experience, Tico?” Poe quipped.

“That’s none of your business, Dameron,” she shot back. 

He wore a mischievous smirk and Paige promptly went quiet. Rey’s smile grew. When would those two quit toying with one another and just admit how they felt? Considering how much Poe had teased her about Ben, Rey considered delivering some payback, but a brief check on Paige led her to believe the older Tico sister wasn’t ready to confront the truth just yet. 

The group, including Finn, who gave up on hiding out in the truck, climbed the stairwell together. As they delivered the first round of boxes into the apartment, they fell into friendly banter. Talking about waves, sun, and sand was comfortable and it kept Rey’s mind from wandering back to earlier in the morning. 

At least for a little while. 

Her stomach fluttered every time she thought about how it felt to have Ben’s hands on her bare skin. The way he looked at her was so intense, it was as if there was nothing else in existence except the two of them. It made her feel alive, a greater high than riding waves or completing the perfect layback.

The water had always served as her escape, a place where the balance of power and control wasn’t predictable, but it was finite. When surfing, there was an understanding between man and nature. 

There was no such understanding when it came to Ben Solo. The man had entered her life as unexpectedly as a coastal storm and ruined her just as effectively. 

It had taken Rey years to grasp the concept of love — _real love_ — and after hearing Ben’s experience with his parents, her belief had wavered. Yet, somehow she knew, deep down that what she felt now — this undeniable, pulsating drive to be close to him, to be there for him — was indeed, love. 

The thought took her by surprise, merely because Rey had rarely imagined ever finding someone to love her and to love in return. She had Han and Leia. She had her friends. But Ben Solo, well, he was an entirely different situation, one she was all too eager to explore.

From what Rey had read in college, the stories she heard in her dorm and tales from Maz, the only thing in life powerful enough to knock you off your axis was love. 

And that’s how Rey felt.

Off-balance, nervous, a little scared and completely in awe. 

“Hey, sorry.” Ben appeared in the doorway, snapping her out of her reverie. “There were _more_ papers to sign.”

“It’s fine,” she assured him. “We got started bringing what we could upstairs.”

“Thank you,” he said, fingers skimming across her cheek as he tucked an errant strand of hair behind her ear. “What would I do without you?”

Rey was about to respond with a joke, but his chocolate brown eyes were staring at her again with that deep-longing, the one with the intensity so great that she couldn’t help but believe he really didn’t know what to do without her in his life. The joke died in her throat.

She looped her arms around him, rising to her tiptoes to kiss him. “You’ll always have me,” she promised.

Ben closed the distance between them, his lips barely hovering over hers. Rey closed her eyes in anticipation and then—

“I threw a case of Corona in the fridge,” Poe announced, interrupting them.

“Great,” Ben acknowledged him over Rey’s head.

Poe headed back out to the truck and Ben sighed, shaking his head. “Sometimes I think our friends are more trouble than they are worth.”

“Yeah, maybe,” Rey replied. “But you’re stuck with them now.”

“As long as that means I’m also stuck with you,” he replied.

“Yes, I’m afraid you’re stuck with me too.” She grinned up at him.

“Good.”

He leaned down and captured her lips.

 _Good_.

 

* * *

 

By five o’clock, Ben’s apartment no longer looked like a poster ad for a Supremacy Heights. Poe, Finn and Ben had managed to carry up all the furniture, while Paige, Rose and Rey all set up the smaller items — appliances, lamps, and stocked his shelves. Ben had given her executive decision rights, not caring where everything was, as long as it was not in cardboard boxes.

She knew he’d rearrange it all to his liking, but she appreciated him allowing her to think she was the decision-maker, even if it was only temporary.

While Rose and Paige stocked his kitchen drawers, Rey called her favorite pizzeria. Everyone was tired, nursing chilled Corona’s as they worked. They’d put in a full day. It was time for substance.

“Scarpello’s, what can I get you?” A girl picked up on the other end.

“Hi, can I get an extra large pepperoni, an extra large cheese, and an extra large mushroom for pick up, please?”

Rey gave the girl her details and was happy that she’d ordered early enough so their wait time wasn’t over an hour. Scarpello’s was a favorite amongst the locals and tourists alike. They had an excellent following, thanks to their well designed website and social media presence, as well as the fact they had the best Italian dishes on the beach.

With dinner taken care of, Rey returned to helping Rose and Paige finish up in the kitchen.

Once they had emptied all the boxes, it was time to pick-up the pizzas. The trio of girls left in Bebe, which Poe allowed Paige to drive.

Rey had to bite back a smile and she noticed Rose do the same. Poe really wasn’t as subtle about his feelings as he thought he was.

Inside the orange van, Rose and Rey brought up that point to Paige. She turned red, but didn’t confirm or deny her own feelings on the subject. She merely parked the van and suggested Rey pick up the dinner before the guys drank the entire case of beer.

Paige had reason to worry. When the girls arrived back at Supremacy Heights, they found the guys lounging around the living room with several empty bottles on Ben’s designer coffee table and fresh ones in their hands.

“Hey!” Poe greeted them.

Rey laughed, Rose shook her head and Paige rolled her eyes.

“Eat up,” Rey ordered, placing three large boxes down on the kitchen counter. “Grease is good for keeping the hangovers at bay.”

“And clean up!” Rose pointed to the collection of empties.

The boys all groaned, but listened to her, gathering up the bottles and depositing them into the bin that Rey had designated for recyclables.

As soon as the pizza boxes were open, the only priority was food. Everyone’s hunger outweighed all other needs. They all dug in, eager to fill their bellies with the perfect slice...or four.

They didn’t even speak for the first few minutes. The only sounds in the apartment were chewing and intermittent sipping of water or beer.

Eventually, Poe brought up July Fourth and the annual town parade that ended in a spectacular fireworks demonstration. Ben drapes an arm around Rey’s shoulders, keeping her close while they sat on the couch together enjoying their meal.

It felt right, being here with him, surrounded by their friends.

It felt like home.

 

* * *

 

Finn, Poe, Paige and Rose helped clean up, before they made to leave.

“Thanks for today,” Ben told them.

“No problem, Solo,” Poe patted him on the back. “But you’re hosting the parties from now on.”

“Uh, sure.”

Rey snorted. Ben would never host a party, but she wasn’t about to tell Poe that.

Her friends loaded themselves into Bebe. They waved as they drove out of the gate.

“And then there were two.” Rey smiled, as Ben shut his front door.

“Finally,” Ben sighed. He turned the locks over. “I thought they’d never leave.”

“Ben!”

He grabbed her, hoisting her up in one swift movement. His massive handles cradled her ass, prompting her to wrap her legs around his hips. He pressed himself to her core. “I’ve been dealing with _this_ for over an hour.” Rey giggled, thrilled to have such an effect on him. “The way you eat is obscene,” he growled.

“What?” She continued to laugh.

“You moan and sigh and it’s like watching porn,” he insisted, as he carried her to the bedroom.

“Seriously?”

Ben groaned, as if it was obvious, or maybe it was because she had decided to grind against him.

“Sweetheart,” he murmured. “If you keep doing that, I’m never going to last.”

She kissed him in response, glad that this time there would be no interruption. Poe was gone for the evening and Leia and Han weren’t expecting her back home. She was all alone…with Ben.

He broke the kiss to set her down on his bed. Unwilling to completely let her go, even for a moment, he knelt on top of the mattress. Ben kept one arm wrapped around her waist and one on her hip, as he kissed the column of her neck from behind. Rey could feel his erection pressing into her lower back. She pressed her rear against the prominent bulge.

Ben’s hands tightened on her. “Off,” he growled, tugging at her shirt.

Rey yanked the shirt over her head, revealing the pale pink lace bra she’d worn. She heard Ben suck in a breath behind her, but before she could turn around to gage his reaction, his hands were on her jean shorts. Hastily, he unbuttoned the denim, pulling down, as Rey lifted her hips to shimmy out of the pair. She’d worn a matching thong, which hadn’t been comfortable for moving day, but had the desired effect on Ben. He moaned against her shoulder, his teeth lightly scraping against her flesh as his eyes trailed down her torso to the apex of her thighs.

“Perfect,” he whispered.

The hand on her hip, rose, trailing phantom touches along her spine before unhooking her bra. She wanted to protest, point out that he was still dressed, but the second her bra was off, all Rey could focus on was how hot Ben felt against her skin. His hands covered her small breasts, tentatively squeezing them, as his thumbs roamed over her nipples. She let out a sharp gasp, arching her back into him.

“I want a taste,” Ben said, his voice strained.

Rey barely had time to process what he meant, before he was flipping her over and onto her back. He tore off his own t-shirt, scrambling to rid himself of his shorts, as he took her in. She could imagine how she looked, flushed red with want, breathless, hair fanned out on either side of her, as she laid in his bed. It was the first time she’d been with anyone before. Part of her realized she should be scared, or at the very least nervous. She wasn’t. This was Ben.

 _Her_ Ben.

He hovered over her, dipping down to steal a kiss from her lips. Rey laced her fingers through his soft locks. She loved how smooth his hair was, light to the touch with a gentle curl. Ben cupped her right breast and lowered his head over it. Rey moaned when, without hesitation, he pulled her flesh into his mouth. She watched him nibble on her nipple before sucking it into and rolling his tongue over the tip. Hearing her reaction, he did the same to her opposite breast. Her hips rose off the mattress.

“No, sweetheart,” he cooed. “Don’t move.”

“Ben, please,” she rasped. She was desperate for more. Her body felt as though it was overheating. Her arousal-addled brain could think of only one solution. “I need you.”

“Rey,” his retort was half-whine, half-order.

“Ben.”

He made a strangled noise, but ripped off her panties, tossing them away to land in a pile somewhere with the rest of their clothes.

“You’re perfect,” he breathed out the words, seeing all of her for the first time. His hands hovered over her waist.  “Tell me you want this, Rey. I need to hear you say it.”

“I want this. I want _you_.” 

“I have condoms in the bedside drawer,” he informed her, beginning to reach.

Her hands on his wrists stopped him. “I have an IUD.” His brow furrowed and she bit her lip, wondering if she had shared too much. “You don’t need a condom, if you don’t want.”

He stared at her for a long moment and Rey’s nerves grew. Then he surged forward, kissing her hungrily. Apparently, he didn’t want a condom.

His hands were all over her, as if he was trying to map out her body from his touch alone. When his fingers traced her entrance, she jolted.

“So wet for me,” he groaned. Any response Rey may have given, vanished when she felt his cock nudge the same spot where his fingers had just been. “Perfect.”

Ben entered her slowly, either from fear of hurting her or fear of coming too soon or a mixture of both. The stretch was different, but not painful. Her fingernails scraped along his scalp as he bottomed out, filling her completely. He groaned, eyes fluttering closed for a second. Rey waited patiently for him to get a hold of himself and then she had to hold onto him.

He canted his hips, driving into her with fervor. She interlocked her fingers together behind his neck, steadying herself for each of his powerful thrusts. Ben was babbling in her ear, pressing his face to the side of her head. She could make out a few words like ‘tight,’ ‘the best,’ and ‘so hot.’ If she’d been able to blush anymore, Rey’s entire body would have been lobster red.

She was aware of the bed creaking. She could feel their bodies bouncing up and down on the mattress. She was certain Gwen would have complaints the next day, but Rey didn’t care. All she cared about was Ben and the fact they were together now — in every way possible.

He was right.

It was perfect.

But like all perfect things, it couldn’t last forever. They’d waited so long for this and after an exhausting day, their pent-up frustrations got the better of them.

Rey felt the coil in her abdomen go impossibly tight. She squeezed her eyes shut, her breath coming out in a hiss.

“Stay with me, sweetheart,” Ben begged, driving into her a little harder. His hand went to her clit, rubbing the nub slowly. “Almost there.”

“Ben!” She wailed. It was too much. She was going to shatter into a million pieces.

“Fuck!” He howled, slamming into her one final time. Rey screamed his name, coming apart with him.

His hips stuttered against hers, as he filled her. Rey’s arms locked around him, keeping him buried deep inside her, while they eased down from their climaxes. A primal part of her wanted to remain like this, wrapped entirely within a haze of hormones and happiness, but eventually, Ben untangled their limbs and pulled out.

“Are you alright?” he asked. “I didn’t hurt you, did I?"

She reached up to cup his face in her hand. “No, Ben. You’d never hurt me.”

He released a breath, eyes searching her face. “Rey, I know this is probably the worst time to say it, but I…I lov—.”

Rey leaned over, silencing him with a kiss. “Don’t be afraid,” she told him with a genuine smile. “I feel it too.”

She already knew what was in his heart, because the same was in hers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [No Shirt, No Shoes Playlist](https://open.spotify.com/user/12179392034/playlist/7hx7ywi5m1t3GDWinrdrlw?si=HYKy32ARQgeKyHtBdKHwrg)   
> 


	12. Heroes and Villains

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _Stand or fall I know there shall be peace in the valley_   
>  _And it's all an affair of my life with the heroes and villains_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How about that trailer, huh? OMG! And the panel discussions and just about EVERYTHING that we got this weekend! I can't stop fangirling about it! This has just made me more excited for December and I'm sure I won't talk about anything else over the next several months because I'm so happy!  
> 
> 
> Special thanks to my beta, [LoveofEscapism](https://archiveofourown.org/users/LoveofEscapism/pseuds/LoveofEscapism/works)!

 

Ben was an addict.

 

He was addicted to finding his own success at the hospital. Paige had been correct; Dr. Harter was easy to get along with and she had a knack for noticing where he excelled, even before he did. Of course, no amount of success could negate how addicted he was to surfing.

 

He was addicted to the adrenaline rush he got when he rode a big wave. Feeling himself become weightless, even if only for a second, was a sensation like no other. For a time, all Ben would be able to hear was the water surging, seagulls crying from above and then the blissful, effortless silence as he went under. But even surfing couldn’t keep him from what he was most addicted to.

 

 _Rey_.

 

Since the day he’d moved in, she’d been at his apartment every day and often slept over. Each time he saw his mother, she gave him a disapproving look, before it morphed into a proud smile, as if she couldn’t quite make up her mind on how she felt. His father would slap him on the back, then proceeded to tell Ben that if he got Rey pregnant before she graduated, he’d throw him off the pier...with a pair of cement shoes.

 

It was typical Skywalker-Solo behavior. Overbearing and dramatic, with just a hint of crazy. Maybe more than a hint.

 

Rey seemed unaware of the conflicting behavior Han and Leia exhibited. She was always glowing, constantly beaming with smiles and always wrapped around him — his own personal leash, tethering him to her radiant light.

 

If he was an addict, she was insatiable.

 

They hadn’t left his apartment the Sunday after he moved in. Instead, they explored one another on just about ever surface he owned, stopping only when they were too exhausted or too hungry to continue. It was easily the best weekend of Ben’s life, even if his diet had consisted of cold pizza for a full twenty-four hours.

 

Their friends had noticed, of course, cheering for him the moment he stepped out onto the beach the following Monday afternoon. Poe had closed his shop early to pick up Paige from her shift and the two had joined the normal crew for an afternoon of surfing. D’Qar Point remained blessedly hidden from tourists, allowing Ben to get more comfortable with both the surf and his newfound circle of friends.

 

Days blended into one another, as he fell into a new routine, one which didn’t rotate around professionally pressed suits and overpriced dinners in downtown, but comfortable khakis and home-cooked meals. True to his word, he made an effort to be home more, unable to turn down the prospect of dinner, when Leia invited him to join her, Han and Rey. Ben had even been invited to Maz’s one evening.

 

He’d joined Finn, Rose, and Rey at the elderly woman’s table, finding her shrimp and grits to be hands-down the most exceptional dish of food he’d ever ingested. “There’s more where that came from, young Solo,” the woman had chuckled, before producing another heaping plate of southern cuisine.

 

Over the course of a couple of weeks, Ben Solo’s life had altered completely. He was no longer the business-driven, one-track minded lawyer who trailed on the heels of his employer and mentor. He was no longer lost in a sea of equally motivated individuals. His little surfer girl had changed him. She had given him a second chance at the life he could have had, a life he was meant to have.

 

As May bled into June and June approached July, Ben’s disappointment towards his parents lessened. He saw the gray in his mother’s hair, noticed the way Han sometimes took pause to catch his breath and watched the formidable pair, he’d always held on a pedestal, mature into the couple he saw now with clear eyes.

 

To Rey’s delight, he began spending every evening with them, helping with dinner and always offering to clean up afterwards. She was at his side the entire time, drying the dishes when he washed them, taste-testing the meals he could make (which weren’t very many), and taking Threepio and Chewie out so Han and Leia could sit in the kitchen and chat while Ben cooked.

 

Rey was perfect.

 

Which was why when he told her he loved her in front of his parents, her only response was to say it right back to him, as if he hadn’t just professed his undying affection at the worst possible time. He didn’t miss the way Leia and Han exchanged hurried glances or how both the dogs perked up, as if they could understand the magnitude of what he’d just said. Yet, despite it all, the one expression Ben picked up on the most was how bright Rey’s eyes shone, when she heard him. He must have told her over a dozen times that he loved her since that night, but every time felt like the first time and every time she reacted just as struck by his admission.

 

“A summer wedding would be nice,” Leia commented one evening, about a week later, while Rey was outside with the dogs. “You could do it right here.”

 

“Mom,” Ben hissed, quickly checking to make sure his girlfriend was still occupied elsewhere. “Rey’s too young to get married.”

 

“I was married to your father at her age,” Leia reminded him. “Besides,” she nudged him, “you’re old enough to get married.”

 

Ben scoffed, shaking his head. He had to admit, he’d been thinking about it. With the fall semester rapidly approaching, each day brought him one step closer to driving Rey back to campus for the start of her junior year. Losing her for four months felt like a life sentence. He’d been spoiled by the amount of time he got with her, but it couldn’t last. She had her degree to complete and Ben wouldn’t stand in her way. No matter how hard it was for him to say goodbye.

 

“Graduation isn’t that far off, if you plan on waiting,” Leia mentioned. “But just in case you can’t.” She pulled a wooden box out of her apron pocket. “I pulled this out of the safe this morning.” Ben watched, as his mother opened the container to reveal an ornate ring. He glanced up to meet Leia’s gaze, then back down at the ring. “It was your grandmother’s. She would have wanted you to have it. She would have wanted Rey to have it.”

 

“Mom.” Ben shook his head, unable to believe she was giving him a family heirloom. The act told him what her words couldn’t. She supported his decision. She supported their relationship. His eyes pinched until his vision blurred and he could no longer see the finer details of the band. “Thank you.”

 

“Just promise me you’ll still make time for your parents once you two tie the knot.”

 

“I promise, Mom,” Ben vowed, as he hugged her tight.

 

They clung to one another, both fighting back tears until Han came to check what was taking so long with dinner. He took one look at them and scratched the back of his neck, clearly uncomfortable.  

 

“So...uh, who died?”

 

* * *

 

 

Ben pulled into Supremacy Heights, annoyed with the weather. While it had rained off and on all summer, the benefit of living on an island was the storms usually blew in and then blew back out just as quickly. Nearly all of the rain to date had occurred during his work day, clearing off in time for Rey to pick him up on her way to D’Qar Point from the hangar. Since today couldn’t be salvaged, they had decided to order take-out and have a night in together.

 

He was fantasizing about all they could do in a single evening, when he spotted the intimidating figure of Anthony Snoke. The man stood stock still under the main office awning. A clap of thunder bellowed from above and lightning lit up the dark sky. Ben’s blood ran cold.

 

Hesitating to leave the safe confines of his car, Ben watched his former employer glare at him across the parking lot. A brief glance at his phone, confirmed Rey was at least ten minutes out. For her sake, Ben hoped she was running late. He didn’t want her anywhere near Snoke. The man was poison.

 

Ben exited his Lexus, his umbrella’s opening pop served as the only sound above the downpour.

 

“Ah, young Solo,” the older man greeted him when Ben reached him.

 

“What are you doing here?” he demanded.

 

“I’ve come to protect my investment,” Snoke answered.

 

“You’re not welcome here,” Ben responded, closing his umbrella.

 

“I don’t intend to stay on the island any longer than necessary. The atmosphere here leaves much to be desired,” Snoke replied haughtily. “I’m impressed. I was convinced you’d come crawling back after a week. Obviously, I underestimated this town’s appeal...or perhaps it isn’t the town, at all.” His eyes gleamed in the fluorescent overhead lights. “Perhaps it’s one of the town’s residents.”

 

Ben felt his heart stutter in his chest. There was no way Snoke could know about Rey. It wasn’t possible. Was it?

 

“She’s pretty, I suppose,” Snoke confirmed Ben’s fears. “A tad younger than I expected, then again, your family has a penchant for age differences, don’t they?” A low sound rumbled from Ben’s chest at the barb. “I wonder, though, does this girl,” he practically spat the word, “know the real you?”

 

“This is private property. I want you to leave,” Ben stated.

 

“I’ll leave when I’m good and ready to,” Snoke argued. “As I said, I’m here to protect my investment, even if that means protecting him from himself.”

 

“I’m not your investment. I’m not even on your books anymore,” Ben fought back. “Get in your car and go back to California. I have nothing else to say to you.”

 

He brushed past his former employer, heading for the staircase.

 

“You’ll ruin her,” Snoke snapped. “The same way you ruined your career, the same way your grandfather ruined his career and your grandmother’s.”

 

Ben froze. Whipping around, he faced Snoke. “What did you just say?”

 

“Anakin had great potential. He was one of the best litigators I ever had the pleasure of working with. He was on the path towards greatness until _that_ woman,” Snoke snarled. “He could have gone all the way, but the Senator convinced him otherwise. Anakin gave up on law, denying the proper use for his talents to work on her nonprofits. The firm lost millions.”

 

This was the side of his grandfather’s life that Ben had never heard before, the hidden element of the Skywalker legacy. He was so lost in the tale, Ben didn’t realize he was shaking with anger. Intuition told him what was coming, even if he desperately hoped he was wrong.

 

“Anakin was the turning point for us. He could have replaced Palpatine as my partner and together we could have overtaken it all,” Snoke continued. “When I saw you, I knew I’d been given a second chance. Greatness, true greatness doesn’t come along by chance. It was your birthright, young Solo, to be what Anakin could never become.”

 

“And what was that exactly?”

 

“Untouchable,” Snoke clarified. “You possessed what all mentors yearn to see — raw, untapped potential. Given the nature of your family’s influence, I was convinced you would be a worthy apprentice. I sought to mold you, build you as I had Anakin to replace Palpatine and realize my vision. But...” his voice grew hoarse and his beady eyes narrowed. “You are a disappointment, just like your grandfather.”

 

“Don’t talk about my family,” Ben warned him.

 

“I know them better than you do,” Snoke insisted. “Or have you forgotten how they abandoned you? They never wanted you. I did. I knew you’d need someone to grow your skills and that’s what I did.”

 

“You manipulated me,” Ben seethed.

 

“You’re foolish,” Snoke said dismissively. “Still a child parading around as a man.”

 

Ben stormed forward, until he was less than a foot in front of his former mentor. “Get. Out.”

 

“Mark my words, young Solo, you’re going to hurt that girl, just as you’ve hurt everyone else in your life.”

 

And with that, Snoke stalked away from him, through the rain and vanished into the cold, bitter night.

 

* * *

 

 

He didn’t tell his parents or Rey about the unexpected social call. Ben didn’t want to worry them and with Snoke gone, there was no reason why he couldn’t go back to the way things had been before the impromptu visit.

 

Only there was.

 

Ever since Snoke departed, Ben had been filled with a sickening sense of dread. He couldn’t shake it, no matter how many times Rey smiled or told him that she loved him. Each time he heard those words, he felt as though he was betraying her. He knew he shouldn’t keep anything from his girl, but with her heading back to school in less than a month, he didn’t want to put any more distance between them. So he kept quiet.

 

To her credit, Rey noticed the change in his behavior. She massaged his shoulders at night before bed, ignoring his protests, when he told her it wasn’t necessary. She assumed it was work. It filled Ben with shame, but he allowed her to think that was the cause of his sullen attitude. While she worked her fingers through his hair and down to his shoulders, to knead out the tension there, Ben thought back on Snoke’s words.

 

 _You’re going to hurt that girl_.

 

The night they’d first made love, Rey had told Ben he’d never hurt her. His girl truly believed that.

 

When she left in the morning for Aldeeran Airways, she kissed his cheek, wished him a good day, and promised to see him at the Point. Ben watched her pull out of the complex in her Jeep, holding his breath until her vehicle disappeared from his line of vision. Then and only then, did he open his glove compartment and pull out the ring his mother had given him.

 

Nestled inside the wooden box, held between the velvet crease was the golden bands, which wrapped around a sapphire, accented by diamonds. It was not as bold or flashy as the modern designs he’d seen online, but he knew Rey would love it. She found beauty in his grandmother’s garden. She’d found the light inside of him. She’d find meaning in this ring.

 

Ben imagined how her face would brighten when he showed it to her. He could see her cheeks dimple, envision how her eyes would sparkle and how her breath would catch. It would be the single greatest moment of his entire life. He wanted it to be perfect for Rey, as perfect as she was for him, so he needed to take the time to plan it out. Every detail needed to be calculated to ensure when he asked her, she said yes.

 

He concealed the piece of jewelry, along with his intentions, under his owner’s manual in the glovebox. As he straightened up, Ben saw Snoke lingering outside Supremacy Heights. The man merely stood outside of his black town car, watching Ben with interested eyes. Ben ignored him, placing his Lexus in gear.

 

When he drove out, he didn’t even glance in Snoke’s direction.

 

Despite that, he could feel the weight of the man’s gaze on him his entire drive to the hospital. It lingered on his skin like a marker, tainting his thoughts all day, until his cell rang.

 

“Hello?”

 

“Ben?”

 

“Rey,” he breathed her name, relieved to hear her voice.

 

“Where are you?” she asked.

 

For the first time since he arrived, Ben glanced down at his clock. He realized he had stayed later than normal. She was probably waiting for him at Supremacy Heights, wondering where he was. Snoke’s words echoed once more in his mind. Ben shook his head, trying to dislodge the broken record syndrome.

 

“I got hung up on a new project for Dr. Kalonia. I lost track of the time. I’m sorry.” He rushed the words out, as he gathered up his things.

 

“It’s fine,” Rey replied in her normal carefree manner. “Don’t rush, I’ll wait for you.”

 

Ben smiled, her words acting like a soothing balm on his aching heart. He’d told his mother the very same, that he’d wait for her. Obviously, the context was different, but hearing Rey promise the same, so effortlessly, gave him hope.

 

“I love you,” he told her.

 

“I love you too.”

 

With that, she hung up and Ben was once again left alone with his thoughts.

 

What if Snoke was watching Rey? What if he spoke to her? What if he hurt her? A myriad of thoughts plagued Ben, as he packed up. He took the stairs instead of the elevator. He jogged to his car. As soon as the Lexus turned over, he was peeling out of the parking garage like a bat out of hell, watching his odometer as he counted down the mileposts between them.

 

Sure enough, when he pulled into the Supremacy Heights parking lot, Rey’s orange Jeep was parked on the curb out front. About half a block down the road, a jet-black town car sat, engine off and the driver missing. It didn’t seem suspicious to anyone, except Ben Solo. He could practically feel Snoke’s eyes upon him, as he darted out of his car to Rey’s side.

 

“Long day?” she asked, taking in his worried expression.

 

“Let me get changed and I’ll be right down,” he promised, before leaning down to kiss her temple.

 

“Okay.” Rey let out a shaky laugh. “Are you alright? You’re a bit flushed.”

 

“I’m fine,” he responded. He glanced over his shoulder at the town car and all his earlier fears came back. “Actually, why don’t you come in with me? Tell me about your day?” Ben suggested.

 

“Oh.” He watched the apples of her cheeks turn crimson. “Okay, then.” She winked and sauntered past him.

 

Ben watched her climb the steps up to his apartment’s level. He shot a glare down the street before stepping back inside the complex and letting the security gate close in front of him.

 

He wouldn’t allow Snoke anywhere near Rey. The man was toxic and he had no place near Ben’s little surfer girl. She was sunshine and light. Snoke was a vortex of darkness. It had taken Ben too long to realize it, but now that he had, there was no way he’d let his former mentor manipulate her.

 

* * *

 

 

D’Qar Point was one place the town car wouldn’t be able to follow him. Ben had never been so thankful for Rey’s off-roading Jeep as he was when she pulled up over the sand dunes to the beach. Here, she was safe from Snoke’s reach, safe from the reality of a situation she didn’t even know was occurring, because Ben still hadn’t told her about the visit.

 

As he unloaded their boards, which had a permanent home in the back of her vehicle, he lamented about not coming clean to her sooner. Ben could feel Snoke’s hold tightening around him, like a noose. Even if he no longer worked for the man, Anthony Snoke had his claws buried in Ben Solo. The harder Ben tried to get away, the more he realized his freedom was a lie. Snoke would never let him go.

 

He had to make a stand.

 

Handing Rey her board, Ben considered calling his mother. Leia would know what to do. They’d already discussed Snoke’s influence on his career. He doubted his mother would be surprised if he shared the reason he’d finally left. She would be disappointed, of course. Ben was sure she’d have dozens of questions for him, each more uncomfortable than the former, but if his mother could help him get out from under Snoke’s thumb, it would be worth it.

 

“Ben, are you coming?” Rey was waving at him from the water, her legs already doused in the salt sea spray. He trotted down to her, his board tucked under his arm. “Don’t forget your leash.” She pointed to his bare ankle.

 

Nodding, he kicked off his sandals and latched on the fabric, making sure the Velcro was good and tight. Just because his mind was elsewhere, didn’t mean his board needed to be too.

 

“Hey, you made it!” Finn called, as he scrambled out of the surf. He’d ridden in a decent wave, Rose following along behind him. “We were getting worried. I was about to dry off and call you.”

 

“Sorry,” Rey apologized for the both of them. “Ben got stuck working late.”

 

“That sucks, man.” Finn patted his arm. “But you’re here now, so that’s good.”

 

“Yeah.” Ben nodded, forcing himself to smile. “Yeah.”

 

They said hello to Rose and then they were swimming out, headed for where the waves were breaking.

 

Ben enjoyed this part of surfing, the quiet moments before catching a wave, where he could simply _be_. The feel of the water underneath him, rising and falling softly, like how Rey moved as she slept next to him, was rhythmic and calming. The fresh scent of clean air, like the pleasant scent of her shampoo, filled his nostrils. The golden sun beams highlighted the sea, causing diamonds of light to flitter across the sandy bottom, dancing like the light in Rey’s hazel orbs.

 

He saw everything as it related to her. His whole world was her now. There was a power in that knowledge, a security he had never felt from anything else in his life. For a moment, he thought of the ring sitting in his Lexus and a genuine smile graced his full lips.

 

 _One day soon_ , he thought.

 

“Here’s one,” Rey announced, beginning to paddle forward.

 

Ben followed, ignoring Rey’s first lesson on surfer etiquette. He jumped up on his board, at the same time she did, feeling connected to her through the wave. She was so close like this, their fingertips nearly a breath away.

 

When she glanced over at him, there was evident surprise to see him so near, but then she smiled and it was brighter than the sun. Ben felt himself be pulled in towards her, his weight shifting ever so slightly to direct the board to the side. He wasn’t aware of his mistake until it was too late.

 

Their boards collided, sending both of them into the water. Just as Ben went under, he saw his board jolt upward, knocking into Rey’s board. It snapped back into her face. He yelled, but his warning was drowned by the salt water, as he became submerged.

 

Frantically, he pulled himself up for air.

 

“Rey!” Ben thrashed around in the water, ignoring his board where it bobbed in front of him. “Rey!”

 

On the beach, he could hear Finn and Rose shouting, as they rushed into the water. Ben spotted her board a few yards away. He swam for her, shoving the board away to find her floating face down...

 

...and a murky crimson cloud blooming around her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uh oh! Cliffhanger!!!!!! Sorry, not sorry  
> 
> 
>  
> 
> [No Shirt, No Shoes Playlist](https://open.spotify.com/user/12179392034/playlist/7hx7ywi5m1t3GDWinrdrlw?si=HYKy32ARQgeKyHtBdKHwrg)  
> 


	13. God Only Knows

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _If you should ever leave me, though life would still go on, believe me._   
>  _The would could show nothing to me, so what good would living do me?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to my beta, [LoveofEscapism](https://archiveofourown.org/users/LoveofEscapism/pseuds/LoveofEscapism/works) for all her hard work in making this good!
> 
> [No Shirt, No Shoes Playlist](https://open.spotify.com/user/12179392034/playlist/7hx7ywi5m1t3GDWinrdrlw?si=HYKy32ARQgeKyHtBdKHwrg)   
> 

 

Rey drifted in and out of consciousness.

 

She saw her board launch forward at her, but she wasn’t quick enough to dodge it and the waves. The fiberglass seesawed upwards, bashing her above the eyebrow. Powered by the ocean, the board’s strike sent her reeling backwards and into the deep depths. She heard the water rushing in her ears. Someone quickly yanked her out. There was a piercing cry of a gull, followed by shouting. She thought she heard her name. Then...total darkness.

 

At first, it felt like sleep. Her limbs felt like lead, heavy and unmovable. There was nothing around her, nothing to distract her from the hazy void she found herself in. She could no longer hear the sounds of the sea. All she could hear was the constant beat of her heart, deafening as it thrummed. That fact didn’t bother her. What did bother her was that she was alone. It was like her recurring dream.

 

Her eyes struggled to open and breathing — _God_ , it hurt to breathe! Why did it hurt so much? Rey realized it wasn’t breathing that hurt, but the pain searing across her forehead. Each time she moved, even with the minimum effort required to inhale, the pain only increased.

 

Something thick and wet was covering her face, coating her skin and forcing her to keep her eyes closed. Around her she heard rushed footsteps and angry voices. Her body glided effortlessly over the ground, speeding inhumanely fast. She tried to reach out for Ben. She knew he was there, but darkness claimed her once more.

 

Rey fought to wake back up. This time, she managed to open her eyes, only to be blinded by a harsh, white light. She hissed, flinching away, then whimpered, as the wound on her face split open from her efforts.

 

“Hang on,” a voice begged, before she closed her eyes. “Hang on, sweetheart. Hang on for me.”

 

 _Ben_.

 

As her vision blurred, Rey tried to latch onto him. His hand wrapped around hers, so warm it could have burned her. She didn’t care. He was here and that was all that mattered. He hadn’t left her alone.

 

She let herself go under.

 

* * *

 

Beep. Beep. Beep.

 

Rey groaned, her head throbbing in time with the staccato electronic sound chiming to her left. There was only one place that smelled so strongly of antiseptic and chirped like a spaceship. The hospital.

 

Slowly the details of her admission came back to her — dropping in on Ben’s wave, wiping out in the shoals, being driven down the bypass to the ER. She recalled voices speaking over her. Rose calling for her sister, Paige telling everyone to remain calm and then another one, older, more authoritative, forcing everyone away from her before she was pulled into the darkness.

 

She groaned again. Rey didn’t want to be here. She wanted to be at home, with Ben, curled up on the couch watching episodes of ‘The Good Place’ and talking about which classes she was going to take next semester. She wanted to be wrapped in his arms, smelling salt, sweat and his conditioner, instead of the sterile blend of disinfectants invading her nostrils. Rey’s lip curled in disgust.

 

Somewhere in front of her, she heard a chair scrape across the floor. Someone was in the room with her. She forced herself to open her eyes.

 

“Rey.” Ben’s worried face came into focus.

 

He was leaning over her bedside, face weary. He looked paler than normal. There were dark circles under his eyes, a clear sign he hadn’t slept. He was dressed in the same outfit he’d worn to the beach, — board shorts, a tee and his sandals — which were all wrinkled.

 

“How long was I out?” she asked. She winced at how hoarse her voice sounded. Her throat felt like someone had scrubbed it down with a piece of sandpaper.

 

“All night. You lost a lot of blood,” he replied, his voice equally ragged. Had he been crying?

 

“Ben.” She turned her hand over, presenting her palm to him.

 

“Rey,” his voice cracked, but he took hold of her hand.

 

The motion hurt, but she bit the inside of her mouth to conceal it. The last thing she wanted was for this sweet man to tear himself away from her. She’d endure far worse pain, if it meant he’d stay by her side.

 

“You scared me, sweetheart,” he admitted. His voice was unsteady, however, his grip was strong. Ben lifted her hand to his lips, pressing a kiss to her knuckles. “I’m so sorry, Rey.”

 

Instinctively, her brow furrowed, causing her to cry out. She was reminded of her wound. “Wh-why are you sorry?” she questioned, forcing her face to relax.

 

“It’s my fault.” Ben looked tormented. She wondered if he’d spent the entire night lamenting over the mistake, a mistake which wasn’t his, but hers.

 

“Ben.” Rey squeezed his hand reassuringly. “This wasn’t your fault. I shouldn’t have dropped in on your wave.”

 

He shook his head, too stubborn to see the truth of the matter. “No,” he insisted. “You went after the wave and I followed. I should have waited.”

 

“Ben,” she sighed, then licked her lips. They were chapped, just as dry as her parched throat.

 

“Here.” He shoved a cup of ice water at her with his free hand. Rey kept her hand wrapped around his opposite, ensuring he didn’t pull away from her. She needed him here. She needed him to stay and listen to what she had to say.

 

“Ben,” she started, after sucking down the entire contents of the cup. “I followed you. I—” She paused, cheeks reddening, as the details of the afternoon came back to her. Apparently she hadn’t lost too much blood. She could still blush. “I was staring at you and thinking about that time on your kitchen island and...and I just went for it.”

 

Rey watched the succession of emotions dance across his face — surprise, pride, shame and finally relief. “It wasn’t your fault,” she repeated, giving his hand another squeeze.

 

“Sweetheart.” He tenderly enveloped her in a hug, careful to not touch her wound or tamper with any of the machines currently tracking her vitals. “I thought...” His voice broke. “All I could see was all the blood and you weren’t waking up and—”

 

“Ben,” she called him back to her. “I’m fine. It’s just a flesh wound.”

 

He backed away to gape at her. “Did you...did you just quote Monty Python?”

 

“Yep,” she responded proudly. “Han introduced me to the films.”

 

Running a hand over his face, Ben muttered, “Of course he did.”

 

“Speak of the devil.” Rey smiled at the couple she could see approaching her room.

 

“Rey!” Leia swept into the room, elbowing past her son to inspect her adopted daughter. “Oh my God, Han, just look at her.”

 

“I’m looking at her, Princess,” the old rogue replied exasperatedly.

 

Rey could only imagine the number of times they had snapped at one another on the drive over. They’d probably been at each other’s throats all night while they waited for her to wake up. Neither of them dealt with stress well, and Leia tended to think Han ought to act a certain way in all situations, which led to them usually taking out their nerves on each other.

 

“I’m fine,” she informed them.

 

“Dr. Kalonia did the stitches herself,” Ben explained, as his mother inspected Rey’s forehead.

 

It was only then that Rey realized she hadn’t seen the wound for herself yet. “Does anyone have a mirror?”

 

Leia immediately began digging through her purse, until she produced a small compact. “Here, dear.” She handed over the case.

 

“Are you sure you want to look at it?” Ben asked.

 

Rey shrugged. “I’m going to have to see it sooner or later.” She held up the circular mirror, tilting it so she could see the sewn up gash.

 

An angry red line cut across the top of her head in a downward angle, splitting through her right eyebrow. Luckily, that was where it stopped. It hadn’t struck her in the eye. Rey wasn’t medically inclined, but even she knew any damage to her ocular nerves would have been life-changing.

 

“Gnarly,” she remarked.

 

Ben swore under his breath, earning a smack from his mother and chuckle from Han.

 

“Dr. Kalonia doesn’t think it will scar,” he commented. “But I’ve done some research, Dr. Aphra is the best cosmetic surgeon on the east coast. I’ve scheduled an appointment with her next week for a preliminary consultation.”

 

“I don’t want it,” Rey returned. Gingerly, she ran her pointer finger over the raised cut. “I’m twenty. If this scars, then it scars. If it doesn’t, then it doesn’t, but I don’t want to enter into any unnecessary surgeries.”

 

Maybe it was the medications, she was sure were pumping through her system or perhaps it was because she was finally coming to terms with the accident, either way, Rey felt the ugly grip of insecurity take hold of her. “Unless...unless you think I need it.”

 

“No,” Ben answered hastily. “No, sweetheart. I only want you to be happy. I don’t want you regretting anything this summer.”

 

It was evident what he was most worried about. And it wasn’t the accident. She brought his hand to her lips, gently kissing each knuckle. “I don’t regret anything, Ben.”

 

“I think scars build character,” Han chimed in.

 

Rey laughed. He was clearly uncomfortable with how affectionate she was with Ben and vice versa. She made a mental note to tone it down when she was in front of Ben’s parents.

 

“Seriously, though, how are you feeling, kid?” Han asked, while Rey handed Leia her compact back.

 

“Fine,” she answered. “It must be all the pain meds they have me on.”

 

Leia and Han laughed, their faces relaxing.

 

They stayed with her until after Dr. Kalonia came in on her rounds, announcing that Rey could be discharged in the afternoon. After they headed out, badgering the doctor with several questions along the way, Ben remained, his face still stern.

 

“I am okay, you know,” she reminded him. “All joking aside, though, I’m glad you’re here.”

 

He eased up a bit and kissed her. “There’s no place I’d rather be.”

 

* * *

 

Finn, Rose, Poe and Paige all visited throughout the day, showering her with her favorite snacks instead of flowers. Her friends knew her well.

 

Ben didn’t move from his seat aside of her all day. He kept a constant vigil, only ducking out to use the washroom or get something to eat and only if someone else was with her at the time. He was very careful not to leave her alone.

 

But when her final visitor of the day strolled in, Rey wasn’t the only one surprised.

 

Anthony Snoke stood in the doorway, dressed in a fine suit and a devil’s grin.

 

“Get out,” Ben snarled instantly.

 

“I have something to say to the girl.”

 

“I have nothing to say to you,” she hissed.

 

“Then just listen,” Snoke chuckled. She hated his laugh, so forced and disingenuous.

 

Rey clenched her hands around her bed sheets. She didn’t appreciate being confined when this man — this predator — in her vicinity. Had she not been hooked up to an IV and other appliances, she would have jumped up to stand in front of Ben. She didn’t want Snoke anywhere near her boyfriend.

 

“Ben Solo is not the man you think he is. The man you think you know, is a lie. This,” Snoke gestured to her bed. “Is only the beginning. Next time, it could be worse, far worse.” He grinned devilishly and Rey thought of all the Disney villains she’d seen on merchandise while she’d grown up on the island. Had the artists modeled their drawings after Anthony Snoke?

 

“I warned you.” Snoke turned to Ben. “I told you that you’d ruin the girl, but you didn’t listen to me. If you’d stayed in California, in your rightful place, none of this would have ever happened. She wouldn’t be in the hospital right now. She wouldn’t have that scar.”

 

Rey watched in horror, as Ben’s face became impossibly pale. His chocolate orbs were dark and wide. She could see Snoke sinking his claws deeper and deeper into him. It had to stop.

 

“I want you to leave,” she demanded, hand hovering over her nurse call button.

 

“I can see you want a great many things, little Rey,” Snoke purred. “My apprentice, most of all.” She felt bile rise in her throat. The way the man spoke, he sounded entirely too confident. Her hand wavered.

 

“Ben Solo has work left to do for me. His place is at the firm. You would do well to remember that you have no place in his story. You, a worthless orphan who became the charity case for a rising Senator.”

 

Rey reeled at his words. The sharpness of his insult sliced through her, cutting deeper than the gash on her forehead.

 

He preened. “You didn’t actually think they adopted you because they cared, did you? You couldn’t be that naive, could you, girl?” Rey remained silent, attempting to keep her face neutral. “Leia’s political career was spiraling out of control. The press was calling for her head. After Ben left, they were convinced there was no way she could maintain order in the Senate, if she couldn’t maintain order in her own home. Then, by some miracle, you came along, the perfect daughter they always wanted, a perfect opportunity for her to show that the problem wasn’t her, it was Ben.”

 

“No.” Rey shook her head vehemently. “That’s a lie.”

 

“Is it?” Snoke quipped, arching one thick white brow. “Or is it exactly what happened? Let’s ask, Ben, shall we?”

 

Snoke faced his former apprentice and Rey waited on baited breath for his response.

 

“Tell her, young Solo. Tell her the truth that is your family? How they abandoned you for their career goals, sacrificing you to pursue aspirations instead of being the support system you needed. Tell her.”

 

Ben lowered his eyes to the floor, glaring at the white tiles wordlessly.

 

“Tell her,” Snoke ordered.

 

He didn’t move, hunched over on himself, staring blankly at the ground.

 

“Tell her!”

 

Rey had had enough. Anger surged through her, hot and forceful. “You underestimate Leia, Han and Ben Solo,” she cried indignantly. “You’re the one with no place in his story.”

 

Snoke merely smirked. “Such fire,” he sneered. “I can see why my apprentice was drawn to you. Your spirit is quite an asset. Pity that you waste it on such hopeless pursuits, just like her.”

 

Rey wasn’t sure who he meant, by her, but it appeared Ben did. His eyes flickered up to her face, then to Snoke. There was light shining there, fury blazing within Ben as recognition dawned, burning away all else.

 

“You,” Ben seethed, standing up. “You killed her!” Snoke’s wicked grin fell from his face. He stumbled back a step, but Ben was quicker, following the older man. “My grandmother. It wasn’t Anakin’s idea to destroy the capitol. It was _yours_!”

 

She gasped, her chest tightening as she watched Ben connect the dots. Of course, Snoke had been the puppet master behind Anakin’s sudden descent into madness. Rey had seen with her own eyes how manipulative the man could be. He had failed with Anakin Skywalker. He had failed with Leia. Now he was trying in vain to secure one last victory in Ben Solo.

 

Her palm slammed down on the call button and fished out her cellphone, while both men remained unaware.

 

“Padme threatened your plans. She had convinced my grandfather to leave your firm, but you wouldn’t allow it, would you?” Ben questioned. “No one denies you, so you cast him as eccentric and out of control. You made sure the entire world saw him as a threat to discredit him and my grandmother’s work. You buried them under lies and manipulation and you’re trying to do the same thing to me.”

 

“Foolish child,” Snoke spat. “Your view of the world is limited. You can’t conceive any greatness because you are held back by your morals. I did what was necessary. Padme Amidala was a nuisance. Her lofty goals were costing the firm millions. Sheev and I agreed. Something had to be done.”

 

“You killed dozens of people!” Ben shouted.

 

“No,” Snoke barked. “Your grandfather did. I convinced Anakin they were corrupt, led him to believe their dirty politics would destroy Padme. He was so insecure in their relationship, so doubtful that he could keep her safe without the power of our firm, that he was all too easy to manipulate. I barely had to nudge him.”

 

“You bastard!” Ben stalked towards Snoke, his fist raising.

 

“Ben!” He froze, staring at Rey as if he’d only just noticed her in the room. “Don’t,” she warned, lifting her wrist ever so slightly to display her phone screen. She’d been recording the entire conversation.

 

“Give that to me, girl.” Snoke approached her.

 

Ben was on him in an instant. “Get away from her!”

 

“What’s going on here?” A new voice interrupted, as a security guard entered Rey’s room, flanked by two worried looking nurses.

 

“I left this man’s employment because it was a hostile work environment and he hunted me down and is trying to harm my girlfriend as a way of manipulating me,” Ben replied calmly. “Can you please remove him from the premises?”

 

“Sir,” the security guard addressed Snoke. He began to guide the man away from Rey’s bedside.

 

“Get your hands off me.” The older man jerked away. He fixed Ben and Rey with a hard glare. “This isn’t over.”

 

* * *

 

Once Leia and Han heard of Snoke’s visit to the hospital, there was no convincing them to allow Rey to spend the night recuperating at Ben’s apartment. Leia insisted that both of them sleep under her roof, until they had time to come up with a plan.

 

Of course, she hadn’t specifically mentioned where they were sleeping. Ben, who hadn’t let Rey out of his sight since the incident with his former boss, waited until she was discharged and then drove her home.

 

Dinner was a tense affair. Even Chewie and Threepio seemed to pick up on the situation, staying in the living room while the four ate in strained silence. The absence of the dogs removed Rey’s opportunity for distraction and she was forced to once again try to remediate the situation.

 

“He’s not as powerful as he thinks he is,” she spoke of Anthony Snoke openly. He’d played his hand. He’d underestimated them, just as she had predicted.

 

“He’s dangerous,” Han groused. “I warned you about him, kid, and you went and provoked him.”

 

“Hey,” Ben snapped at his father. “Back off.”

 

“Ben,” Leia sighed. “I wish you would have come to us about this sooner. We could have helped you.”

 

“Helped me how?” he shot back.

 

“Snoke came after you before,” Leia admitted, “to get to me. Now he’s trying the same thing, only this time he’s coming after you through Rey.”

 

Ben fell silent and Rey watched him tamper his rage, as his mother’s words sunk in.

 

“Let’s discuss it in the morning,” Rey suggested. “We’ve all had a long day.”

 

Everyone nodded in agreement, putting aside their grumbling for the remainder of the meal.

 

Leia and Han offered to do the dishes, allowing Ben to help Rey upstairs so she could get settled in for the night. Ben stayed with her, continuing to not let her out of his sight, regardless of where they were.

 

They laid together with only the dim glow of the moon as light. Shadows dragged across their forms, decorating the bed in mismatched shapes of varying shades of gray. It was hypnotic and Rey felt herself growing drowsy. After the day’s sudden revelations, compiled with the effects of her blood loss, she teetered on the edge of consciousness, acutely aware of how Ben watched her every action.

 

For a time, they were silent, each processing the events of the past two days, each mulling over where they went from here. To Rey, it wasn’t a question of them being together. It was a question of addressing Snoke’s hand in what had occurred with Anakin and Padme.

 

Unfortunately, Ben wasn’t on the same page. If Rey thought the silence downstairs had been uncomfortable, it was nothing compared to how unnerving it felt to be next to her boyfriend while he kept her in the dark.

 

“Maybe...maybe, it’s better if we take a break,” Ben finally managed to say. His eyes were downcast and his body language reminded Rey of a beaten animal. He curled in on himself, which was no small feat considering his massive size. She noticed the weight of the the day on him and cupped his face in her hand.

 

“Ben,” she began. “Leaving me to protect me doesn’t work. You of all people should know that. It’s what Han and Leia did to you. They thought giving you up to tutors and the best educators they could find was what would make you happy. They didn’t believe they were enough. They missed the point. All you really needed was them.” She paused, sighing. “At the end of the day, all I really need — all I really want — is you.”

 

“But what if I hurt you? My grandfather loved my grandmother so much that he didn’t see he was lost until it was too late. He was so hell-bent on saving her that he ended up being the one to destroy their lives.”

 

“You aren’t Anakin Skywalker,” Rey pointed out. “And I’m not Padme Amidala. We are our own people, Ben, with our own choices. We have the ability to control our own lives. They made the wrong choices. We can make the correct ones, starting right now.”

 

She heard him exhale in one long breath. His shoulders sagged and for a moment, she feared he would continue to pull away from her, retreat back into his former solitude. But then he was around her, hugging her tightly to him and burying his face in her hair.

 

“I love you.”

 

“I know,” Rey replied. “I love you too” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I told you I'd make it better  
> 


	14. Surfer Girl

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _So I say from me to you_   
>  _I will make your dreams come true_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In lieu of seeing Endgame and preparing my heart for GoT this evening, have a happy chapter of No Shirt, No Shoes!
> 
> Special thanks and all my love to my friend and beta, [LoveofEscapism](https://archiveofourown.org/users/LoveofEscapism/pseuds/LoveofEscapism/works)!
> 
> I started a new canon-compliant work, which will have weekly updates: [I Move the Stars for No One](https://archiveofourown.org/works/18300938/chapters/43315268), and for those who follow, [Something Wild](https://archiveofourown.org/works/18000935/chapters/42526250), another chapter will be posting tomorrow.

 

After breakfast the next morning, Han drove Rey back to the hospital so Dr. Kalonia could check the stitches and ensure there was no lingering side effects from her head wound. Ben wanted to be the one to go with her, especially since his boss had given him leave for a couple of days until Rey was able to drive on her own. However, he had other business to take care of. Business he felt more comfortable dealing with away from Rey’s big doe eyes.

 

“Is that everything?” Leia asked Ben.

 

He and his mother had been shut away in her office for the better part of the morning. They had gone over everything in detail, starting with when Snoke had approached him about joining Palpatine and Snoke, and ending with the disastrous visit at the hospital.

 

“Yes,” he answered. “That’s everything.”

 

“And this,” Leia held up Rey’s recording, which his surfer girl had forwarded to him, “is his confession?”

 

“I know it’s admissible in court, but it should be enough to introduce reasonable doubt,” Ben confirmed.

 

“We could leak it to the press,” Leia suggested.

 

“No,” Ben refused adamantly. “Snoke plays dirty. I won’t sink to his level. If we’re going to win this, we’re going to do it the right way.”

 

“Very well,” Leia agreed, grinning proudly.

 

Ben paused, reveling in the fact his mother was on board. It gave him the confidence to share his plan with her. He went through the details of his employment, highlighting the various situations which weren’t exactly legal and the dealings which ensured specific cases were thrown out before they were even heard. When Leia asked about proof, substantial proof that they could make stick to Snoke, Ben produced his secret weapon — an external hard drive he’d taken with him from Palpatine and Snoke as an insurance policy.

 

“I know what I have to do,” he said, as he placed it on the table in between him and his mother. “Will you help me?”

 

Leia’s hand came to rest over top his own. “Of course, Ben. Anything.”

 

He gave her a nod, attempting to hide his relief. Their relationship had been strained over the years. Regardless of their progress over the last couple of months, Ben was still getting acclimated to the new order.

 

“Then let’s get started.”

 

By the time Han delivered Rey back home, Ben and Leia had a complete case outlined. They had just begun aligning separate pieces of evidence to support each of their key points when their significant others entered the room.

 

“What’s all this?” Han balked. “I thought we were doing this together.”

 

“Ben and I just got a head start,” Leia insisted.

 

Rey appeared equally put out by the fact they had started without her and Han. “Ben?” Her eyes hardened for a second, before he recognized the watery shimmer of unshed tears.

 

He rose from the couch, going to her. “Sweetheart, I didn’t want you to worry. You’ve already been through so much.”

 

She yanked away from him, turning on her heel and stomping upstairs. and Ben sighed. He was right back where he started. Rey was stubborn. He knew she didn’t appreciate being made to feel weak and while his intention hadn’t been to keep her out of the legal argument completely — after all, he needed her recording and her testimonial — Ben didn’t want to cause her any unnecessary stress while she recovered.

 

Head injuries were difficult to assess, even with the proper tests. He’d insisted on all of them being run on Rey. It was clear from the state of her, she’d suffered a concussion along with her blood loss. It was a complicated and precarious combination, one which cost him years of his life. Operating on virtually no sleep to stay by her side and eating only what the closest vending machine could offer, was not healthy, but Ben hadn’t cared. He would rather suffer through a couple of bad meals instead of missing an important update on his little surfer girl.

 

Even though she was home now — and apparently back to her normal stubborn self — Ben was still worried. He knew to watch for basic things such as vision impairment and headaches. As much as he didn’t want to think the worst, he was fearful of an underlying condition. Even though he understood his concern stemmed from his overarching trepidation of losing Rey.

 

It was the one threat Snoke had made which could yet come true.

 

Ironically, it wasn’t Snoke who was going to be the one who drove them apart. If it happened, it would be Ben, himself. He’d never been good with people.

 

Scratching the back of his neck, he stared at spot where she’d stood, wondering if he should go after her or give her some space. Rey had been through a lot the last couple of days. Ben didn’t want to overwhelm her. He also didn’t want to give her a reason to doubt him. He was perched on a double-edge sword, teetering between both options.

 

“I didn’t mean to leave her out,” Ben stated to no one in particular.

 

“I know,” his mother replied calmly from where she remained seated, pouring over their plan. “Rey has always been independent. We could never break her of her self-preservation instincts. She suffered under Unkar Plutt for too long.”

 

“I should have gotten her out of there sooner,” Han lamented.

 

Ben clenched his fists, reminded that his girl had been alone for years, struggling. He had half a mind to go down to the bait shop and give Plutt a piece of his mind...and his fist. But it would have to wait. Ben needed to get rid of Snoke first. Then he’d deal with the corrupt business owner. As long as he was around, no one would mistreat Rey ever again.

 

“Go,” his father told him, patting him on the back. “She needs you.”

 

Ben didn’t have to be told twice. He climbed the staircase up to Rey’s room, unsurprised to find the door shut. “Rey?” He knocked lightly on the door. There was no response. “Sweetheart, can I come in, please?”

 

“Okay,” her voice was quiet, disappointment tainting her normal cheery tone.

 

He swung the door open to find her perched on the edge of her bed, staring at the floor. “Rey, I wasn’t leaving you out,” he started to explain.

 

“You’re not alone, Ben,” she interrupted him, voice wavering as tears spilled forth. “I thought you knew that. We’re in this together. You should have waited for me. I wanted to help you.”

 

_Oh! Oh, his sweet, loving girl..._

 

“Rey,” he began again, joining her on the bed. “You are helping me, just by being you. I would have never had the courage to go through with this without you.” He paused, taking her hand in his own. “Having you in my life, having you by my side has made me believe I could be a better man. I wanted to prove to you that I could be that man, a man who is worthy of you.”

 

“Ben Solo.” She shook her head, laughing a bit despite her tears. “I love you, just as you are. You are worthy. You’ve always been worthy.”

 

Ben leaned over and kissed Rey. Her words tugged at his heartstrings, urging him to tell her, to say those words that were perched on the tip of his tongue. It was too soon, too reckless, but all Ben could think of was how much he wanted this to be the rest of his life, these tender moments with Rey. He could have it forever, if he just _asked_. The ring was still in the glove compartment of the Lexus, just out in the driveway. It would only take a minute and then...

 

...but no.

 

Rey had her degree to finish. She enjoyed school. Her light went beyond the island. She dedicated herself to her curriculum, invested in learning more about her passion. Ben wouldn’t stand in her way. He’d told his mother he could wait for Rey and that was what he intended to do.

 

A ring wouldn’t change how he felt about her and, knowing his girl, he was certain a piece of jewelry wouldn't alter her feelings either. Beyond a shadow of a doubt, he belonged to her and she to him. The truth of that swept through him, filling him with a light of his own.

 

He’d win this war against Snoke. Rey would be free to graduate without the dark threat of the man looming over her. Ben would be free to continue at the hospital, no longer laboring under false pretense. Winning would absolve his grandparents, liberating his mother and uncle from their long-held burden. The Skywalker legacy, a curse upon his family, would be no more.

 

Anakin hadn’t been able to save his wife, but Ben wouldn’t make the same mistakes. He could let the past die, as long as he learned from it.

 

Staring at his little surfer girl, he realized he already had everything he needed.

 

* * *

 

The case wasn’t heard until the winter. Once the jury selection process had been finalized, Ben was given confirmation of the date for Opening Statements. Rey requested a brief leave of absence from school to attend. Due to the nature of the allegations Ben and Leia were bringing up against Snoke, the college allowed her to complete her coursework ahead of time, arranging for her to take her finals over the weekend in order for her to be home in time for the trial.

 

It was both a blessing and a curse. Due to the shift in her schedule, Rey would be home much longer than a typical winter break, but it also meant the entire time she was on the island, they’d be in court. The fact that she was too busy studying to come home prior to Opening Statements, only put Ben on edge more. Not seeing his girl was torture. He kept reminding himself it was only temporary.

 

The moment she walked into his apartment that December afternoon, Ben nearly fell at her feet, so grateful to finally be able to hold her.

 

“Rey,” he breathed her name, as if he was pulling himself out of the ocean’s depths for air.

 

“Hey you,” she greeted him with a tired smile.

 

Ben enveloped her in a hug. “How did finals go?”

 

“Well, I think,” she answered before burying her face in his chest, while she hugged him back. “How are things here?”

 

“Good,” he replied. Ben deposited a kiss on the top of her head. Rey leaned back and surged up on her tiptoes to taste his lips. “Very good now,” he chuckled in response.

 

She hummed, smirking. “I bet.”

 

“Finn’s accepted the apprentice position,” he informed her, as he carried her bag into the bedroom. Rey followed behind, interested to hear about how the transition at Alderaan Airways was going.

 

“How’s Han dealing with all the changes?” she questioned.

 

“At the hanger? Really well,” Ben returned. “With his diet? Terrible.”

 

Rey laughed. “That bad, huh?”

 

He rolled his eyes.

 

At his father’s last check-up, the cardiologist once again warned him to layoff the red meat and salt. When Han tried to joke about the state of his clogged arteries, Leia put her foot down. “Han Solo,” she snapped. “Our son is going to get married one day soon and you’re going to be there to walk that girl down the aisle, do you hear me? I expect you to be there the day our first grandchild is born. And if you aren’t, so help me God, I will drag you out of your grave and kill you again myself.”

 

“Alright, Princess, alright!”

 

The next day, Ben helped his mother ‘cleanse’ their pantry and refrigerator, which was Leia’s fancy way of saying throwing out everything not on Han’s doctor approved shopping list. The old pilot turned in his greasy bacon and burgers for kale salads and grilled chicken. Ben endured weeks of bickering between his parents, before Han was once again visiting the doctor for a check-up. It wasn’t until his father saw the results of his clean eating that Han admitted Leia had been right.

 

There were still days when Han made comments about his lack of red meat, but for the most part, he’d managed to stay on track. It was a relief to both Leia and Ben, even if Ben wished his mother would stop using his hypothetical children as a guilt tactic.

 

True to his promise, Ben hadn’t broached the subject of marriage with Rey. He moved his grandmother’s engagement ring into the safe at the back of his closet, hidden under a collection of black designer suits he only wore to court. The day would come when he’d ask her, but until then, he was content to enjoy each and every moment he had with her, including this one.

 

“If you thought he was grumpy when he could eat junk food, you haven’t seen anything yet, sweetheart,” Ben commented.

 

Rey laughed again, a sound so naturally beautiful that Ben found himself wanting to hear nothing else for a solid day. He’d missed her.

 

“What time do we have to be at the courthouse?” she asked, flopping down on his bed. _Our bed_ , he reminded himself. Rey rarely went to his parents’ house anymore. Han and Leia had accepted her living at Ben’s apartment when she visited.

 

“Nine o’clock, sharp,” he informed her.

 

“That’s practically sleeping in,” she cheered.

 

“You know you can select later classes, right?” Ben teased. “You don’t have to pick morning sessions. Take advantage of the fact you can sleep in before you join the workforce.”

 

Rey shrugged. “What can I say? I’m an early bird.”

 

She was. Up with the sun and just as brilliant, his girl was an abundance of energy and light. He could imagine her walking across campus, smiling away as she went from class to class, before ultimately winding up in the library for hours at a time. Rey was diligent about her coursework, always completing research and thoroughly investigating the topics of discussion from her lectures. Ben knew part of it was because she didn’t like her roommate, but the silver lining was that Rey was on track to complete another semester on the Dean’s List, an honor which she held in high regard.

 

“What are you hungry for? I can pick up a pizza from Scarpello’s?” he offered.

 

Rey’s smile twisted into a wicked grin. “I think I’d prefer something else.”

 

“Something else?” he repeated, raising an eyebrow.

 

She crooked a finger at him, gesturing for him to join her on the bed. “Something better.”

 

Ben couldn’t deny her anything.

 

* * *

 

It wasn’t easy.

 

Snoke was prepared with a team of the best associates his firm had to offer. As expected, they had Rey’s recording thrown out of evidence, stating it as obtained under illegal means, because Snoke hadn’t been aware he was being taped. Of course, Ben anticipated the judge’s ruling. He built his case on top of the doubt he saw in the jury’s eyes, with evidence Palpatine and Snoke couldn’t throw out.

 

The witness testimony and cross-examination was the worst part. Rey had been on the list since the initial hearing, but it didn’t change the fact that when she stepped up on the podium, Ben felt his chest tighten. His anxiety only grew when Snoke proceeded to address her. It was the first time since the hospital that Rey had been in close proximity to the man and Ben hated every second of it.

 

As he watched his former mentor question Rey, he felt his mother’s hand on his arm. “She’s stronger than she knows,” Leia reminded Ben. “She can do this.”

 

And she did.

 

Rey responded to each of Snoke’s questions with a level of calm Ben had only seen skilled politicians possess. Their hard work, over the last couple of months, had paid off. On top of juggling her coursework, Rey had been studying criminal court cases with Ben and Leia. They broke down strategy, key terms and provided Rey with a list of potential queries Snoke may pose.

 

Han assisted too. He taught Rey how to play cards, working on her poker face to help give her an edge on the stand. She wasn’t rattled by Snoke’s blunt attempts to get under her skin and she didn’t fall for any of his misleading ploys. Anthony Snoke underestimated the young girl, just as she had claimed he would. Once his line of questioning came to an end, Rey offered Ben a brilliant smile.

 

He fell in love with her all over again.

 

She had done her part. Now it was his turn to do the same.

 

His argument had exposed Snoke’s organization for what it was: a corporate bully. The documentation Ben had presented included everything from wire transfers to bribe politicians, to class-action lawsuits the firm had swept under the rug and even without Rey’s recording, the testimonials from some long-standing employees brought to light the fact Anakin Skywalker had been coerced into his actions.

 

Ben presented his closing argument, making sure to cite all the key points he’d outlined months prior and tying each one to the mountain of evidence he’d collected against Snoke. While Palpatine and Snoke’s associates spoke of controlling the population through order and manipulated the fear of terrorism, Ben focused on each individual’s civil rights, including the right to a safe work environment and the freedom to a fair trial.

 

When Ben finished, he could see the answer in the jury’s eyes. The twelve individuals all showed clear signs of loathing and disgust when they glanced in Snoke’s direction. While he didn’t want to seem overconfident, Ben knew he had delivered his best case. Months of research, witness selection and evidence collection had all led to this day. And his only regret was that he had waited so long to go after the man who had been a plague upon his family.

 

The judge concluded their court session for the day. They would resume in the morning to hear the jury’s verdict. Until then, they were in recess.

 

Hand in hand, Ben led Rey out of the courtroom, pausing on the sidewalk to wait for his parents. As he hugged his girl, he caught Snoke exiting the building. He was glaring daggers at them. If Ben had been his lawyer, he would have advised Snoke to have no communication with the Skywalker-Solo family. Of course, Ben was no longer an employee of Palpatine and Snoke, so he said nothing as his former mentor approached.

 

“The mighty Ben Solo,” Snoke sneered, as the associates pooled around him. Some glanced skittishly between the partner and his former apprentice. Others looked as though they were about to guzzle a bottle full of Tums. “You may think you’ve won, but rest assured, I will open an appeal. I will fight you until you have nothing left and then I will destroy you. You and your girl.”

 

Ben felt Rey stiffen behind him, as his mother and father came rushing over.

 

“You will have nowhere to run, nowhere to hide. You’ll regret the day you ever decided to—.”

 

“Excuse me. Is that your car?” a weathered voice asked.

 

Snoke glanced behind him. As the group of associates parted, Ben caught a glimpse of the man who interrupted his former boss. It was a face he knew well, but Ben wasn’t staring at the man anymore. He was watching a familiar black town car being loaded onto the back of a city tow truck.

 

“Stop!” Snoke hissed, moving away from the Skywalker clan, flanked by his associates. “That’s my car!”

 

“Luke,” Leia greeted her twin.

 

“Leia.” He gave her a curt nod, before turning to face Ben and Rey. “I suppose I owe you both my thanks.”

 

Ben furrowed his brow in confusion, but Rey knew how to respond. She always knew how to handle people. Without an ounce of hesitation, she strolled up to his uncle and hugged him. “You’re welcome.”

 

Luke Skywalker, habitual hermit and all-around crab, smiled — actually smiled at Ben over Rey’s shoulder. Then he was hugging her back. Ben could only stare in amazement. In all the years he had known his uncle, he’d never seen him embrace anyone, except his twin. Luke wasn’t exactly one for displays of affection.

 

“I like her,” he admitted, gruffly, as Rey stepped away.

 

Han patted him on the back, chuckling, “Happy to have you back, Luke.”

 

His parents and his uncle decided to meet up with Lando to catch up. Ben and Rey declined the invitation to join, feigning exhaustion so they could have the night to themselves.

 

“So.” Rey turned to him with a cheeky grin. “Can you give me a ride?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For your listening pleasure: [No Shirt, No Shoes Playlist](https://open.spotify.com/user/12179392034/playlist/7hx7ywi5m1t3GDWinrdrlw?si=HYKy32ARQgeKyHtBdKHwrg)  
> This is it! The last chapter until the epilogue (next week). Thank you all for coming on this amazing journey with me. I hope you've loved this fic as much as I have.


	15. Kokomo (Epilogue)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _Bodies in the sand, tropical drink melting in your hand_   
>  _We'll be falling in love to the rhythm of a steel drum band_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is it! The final chapter. It's been a long road (at least it feels that way for me)
> 
> For your listening pleasure: [No Shirt, No Shoes Playlist](https://open.spotify.com/user/12179392034/playlist/7hx7ywi5m1t3GDWinrdrlw?si=HYKy32ARQgeKyHtBdKHwrg)  
> All my thanks and all my love to my dear friend and beta, [LoveofEscapism](https://archiveofourown.org/users/LoveofEscapism/pseuds/LoveofEscapism/works). Her support of this story is why I was able to finish. That and all your wonderful comments!

 

She stood on the shore, eyes scanning the empty beach of D’Qar Point. Living in paradise was a blessing, one that she was thankful for each and every day. The island had always been Rey’s home, a safe sanctuary. It was where she grew up, where she fell in love, where she graduated, where she got engaged, then married and most importantly, where she became a mother. The salty ocean air and gravelly sand had been constants in her life, long before anything else, which was why they were still here today.

 

It had been over five years since she’d met Ben Solo. While some days it felt as if it was only yesterday, there were days when it felt like it had happened a lifetime ago. Her life had been irrevocably changed by the man. She wasn’t the same person she had been before. Likewise, Ben had been changed too, both of them for the better.

 

Rey held her hand over her eyes, shielding her gaze from the sun’s beams, as the dawn colored the sky in blotches of pink, orange, and red. The lighting was perfect. They could finally get started.

 

“All set, sweetheart?” Ben asked, before planting a chaste kiss to her temple.

 

“Yeah, let’s get a move on before he wakes up.”

 

He chuckled softly, “Good call.”

 

Rey watched as Ben situated everything for her photo shoot, wondering how she got so lucky. The man, once so confusing and irritating, was her lighthouse, guiding her to safe shores and keeping her on course. She may have taught him how to surf, but he had taught her a far more valuable lesson: how to love and be loved in return.

 

Things had been rocky at first, due to her having to go back to college and Ben’s work on the case against Snoke.

 

Snoke’s trial had ended in a guilty verdict. The jury had deemed Anthony Snoke and the entire Palpatine & Snoke firm guilty on all accounts — blackmail, extortion, witness tampering, bribery, and about a dozen other crimes. Snoke was given a life sentence without parole and sent to a federal penitentiary with limited communication to the outside world. The firm was disbanded, bankrupt from all the legal fees they tallied up from trying to appeal the verdict. Some of the associates were charged as accomplices, but the majority pled out in order to get shorter sentences.

 

In the end, the rulings held and Ben’s grandparent’s names were cleared. Anakin Skywalker was no longer viewed as a shadow terrorist, but as a man willing to do whatever it took to ensure his wife and children were safe. His devotion to his family was admired, as were Padme’s accomplishments. No longer was the Amidala-Naberrie name tarnished. It once again held honor amongst politicians and historians alike.

 

Leia and Luke were proud, especially when they were invited to Washington, DC to accept their father’s presidential pardon. Ben held his mother’s hand throughout the entire ceremony, while Rey and Han watched from the front row. Later, he would joke about how all his good handkerchiefs were ruined, but Rey knew he was merely trying to cover up his own tears.

 

She was proud of him. He had managed to do what no one else had. Ben had cleared the Skywalker family name.

 

He had proposed the night of her college graduation. In hindsight, Rey realized she should have suspected it. Ben had been acting tense and jumpy for weeks. Initially, she thought it was due to the fact that she was officially moving into Supremacy Heights with him. But the moment he knelt in the sand, she knew.

 

“Yes.”

 

“Rey, I haven’t even asked you yet. I had—.”

 

“Yes,” she interrupted him again.

 

Ben sighed, running a hand through his hair. Then, chuckling, he grinned up at her. “Dropping in on my proposal, sweetheart? I thought you would have learned your lesson.”

 

Rey’s only response was to throw her arms around him, knocking him into the sand as she kissed him senseless.  

 

After their engagement, Leia announced her plans for retirement. She decided her time with politics was done. Of course, it was a surprise to none of them when she joined Rey’s sustainability council as a regular volunteer. The first project the former Senator suggested was reestablishing Varykino Gardens. The vote was unanimous and the team broke ground the following spring.

 

Luke moved into Han and Leia’s pool house. Even though it was more of a shack than a dwelling, Leia was overjoyed to have her twin at her side, so Han made some renovations. It appeared, despite his grumbling, he was happy to have his old friend back as well.

 

He kept working at the hangar, his office filled with a collection of photos from his youth (featuring Luke, Leia, and Lando), when he was a father (featuring a young Ben and Rey), and his present (featuring Ben, Rey, Chewie and Threepio, along with the assortment of friends they’d brought around). Despite Leia’s retirement, Han arrived each morning at the hangar like clockwork. He spent the day in his office, carefully reviewing the books, thanks to Ben’s insight. He kept himself surrounded by his memories, motivation for maintaining his heart-friendly diet.

 

Finn graduated the same summer as Rey and began working with Han at Alderaan Airways full-time. He turned out to be an exceptional pilot, though Han was a bit reluctant to let go of the reins. Rose, who also graduated that May, filled in for Rey on the mechanical side. The two finally admitted their feelings for one another and started officially dating.

 

Poe continued to run New Republic Surf Shop, even after he married Paige. No one was more surprised than Rey when he heeded Paige’s wishes and kept Bebe away from their ceremony. It turned out, Poe’s one true love was not the old van he claimed to have cared for so much. And when Paige stepped out on to the beach that day, dressed in white lace, it was clear Poe had only ever had eyes for her.

 

Ben had been the best man, opposite of Rose, though no one commented when he pulled Rey into his arms on the dance floor at the reception. There was no denying who his heart belonged to.

 

As if Padme’s ring hadn’t been enough, Ben surprised Rey with an even greater gift. Three months before their wedding, he woke her up and drove her out past Varykino Gardens to a section of undeveloped land. Rey stared at the plot, confused, until Ben stepped in front of her and hammered down a small wooden sign which read, _Sold_.

 

He produced a set of blueprints, far older than she expected. When she noted the date, it confirmed her suspicions. “I’m going to finish what my grandfather started,” Ben announced. “This was the home he intended to build for my grandmother...and for his children.”

 

She stared up at him, startled by the generous act and completely overwhelmed. Rey immediately burst into tears, interrupting the speech Ben had prepared about how the land once belonged to his grandmother’s family and how they would be able to see the gardens from their porch, once it was built. She cried the entire time, unable to stop the flood of emotions. They would discover later, that she was already pregnant with Ava, which became the catalyst for Ben making the nursery his top priority.

 

They kept the pregnancy a secret until after the wedding. Ben struggled with it more than Rey. He was practically bursting at the seams with nervous energy, so excited by the news that he almost let it slip on a number of occasions. Thankfully, he managed to keep it under wraps until they were married.

 

The wedding was an intimate affair at D’Qar Point in early June. They only invited their closest friends and family members, about thirty people in total.

 

Rey had selected a strapless, flowing off-white gown and chose to go barefoot. Leia did her hair, convincing Rey to wear it up in a series of intricate braids to keep it out of her face for the ceremony. Paige did her make-up, keeping it light, since Rey often chose not to bother with cosmetics.

 

Han walked her down the aisle, which was no more than a path between their guests to where Ben stood next to a large piece of driftwood, where their wedding bands sat, glistening in the light of the sunset. Lor San Tekka officiated and when he gave Ben permission to kiss his bride, her husband took advantage, scooping her up in his arms.

 

The moment had been captured by Poe, an iconic shot, where the sun hovered behind them like a golden halo. Rey had it framed and hung in their home, a daily reminder of the best day of her life...well the best day of her life until Ava was born.

 

Their little girl had been born in early December. She came screaming into the world, wailing like a nor’easter, but the moment the nurse placed her in Ben’s arms, she quieted. He’d been wrapped around her finger ever since. The only time Rey had seen him as happy as the day Ava was born was the day she told him she was pregnant with Connor.

 

Their son had been born last week, a welcomed addition to their family and one who both Ben and Ava fawned over constantly. Ava was curious about the squabbling bundle, staring at him for a long time when Leia and Han brought her to visit Rey and Ben in the hospital. When her little brother gripped her finger, though, Ava broke into a  toothy grin.

 

“He loves me!”

 

“Of course, he does.” Rey smiled at her daughter. “You’re going to need to show him the ropes, Ava. He’s going to look up to you.”

 

“I’ll take care of you, Connor,” Ava promised, kissing his forehead.

 

Rey’s eyes welled up with tears. She blamed it on her hormones, even if it was a lie.

 

Life on the island had a way of coming full circle. Like the sea, it ebbed and flowed, in constant motion, always changing and always bringing in new life. Rey smiled, watching as the two newest lives came into view.

 

“So stubborn,” Ben muttered, shaking his head, as he trudged up the sand to where Rey was perched. “Just like her mother.”

 

She shoved him playfully, a smirk toying at the corners of her mouth.

 

“Ava,” Rey called to their daughter. “Stay just like that.”

 

Ava, who had just turned three, grinned over at her mother. Rey gestured to her girl, directing her back into position. The little girl leaned down and tenderly kissed her baby brother’s head. Rey snapped several shots of the photo on her phone, grateful the wind had died down enough for them to have their morning photo shoot.

 

“Great job, my little surfer girl,” Ben praised their daughter.

 

He left Rey’s side to retrieve both children, Ava, who was beaming with pride and Connor, their newest addition, who was sleeping peacefully, wrapped in a gray blanket Paige had made.

 

As she watched her husband gather up their children, Rey’s smile widened. She thought back to the first day she’d brought Ben here, his first attempt at surfing. It had taken a few years and they had gone through their ups and downs, just as every couple did, but in the end, she had been right.

 

Salt water did cure all wounds.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  
> 
> Here's what I'm working on now that this is over:  
> \- [Something Wild](https://archiveofourown.org/works/18000935/chapters/42526250)  
> (Multi-chapter Modern Alaskan AU)  
> \- [I Move the Stars for No One](https://archiveofourown.org/works/18300938/chapters/43315268)  
> (Multi-chapter Post-TLJ Canonverse)  
> \- [Zumba Solo](https://archiveofourown.org/works/18643690/chapters/44212123) (Short Gym AU)

**Author's Note:**

> My tumblr [@wewantreylo](https://wewantreylo.tumblr.com/) is still alive and kicking. I know, weird, right?


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